Airport employee received $10,000 as bribes for allowing a passenger to travel to Brazil without proper documentation.
The incident occurred at the National Aviation Service (NAS) passenger service terminal. The passenger bound for Brazil did not have the necessary documents to continue the trip, but an unknown NAS employee offered his services: he demanded a bribe to let the traveler through. According to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), the bribe taker has already been fired.
The state anti-corruption unit, together with the Office of Immigration Control and other authorities, brought the situation under control. An investigation has begun and some of the suspects have already been found guilty.
Last week, the Civil Aviation Authority said it would release a list of individuals whose passes were revoked due to corruption and other unethical practices.
This incident came shortly after Ugandans were appalled by widespread corruption at the airport. A few days ago, civilians exposed Entebbe employees involved in corruption and extortion. Airport employees extort and receive bribes, forge documents and change passport data. demanded a bribe to allow a passenger to add more luggage to his hand luggage.
Officials thank vigilant citizens who helped in this matter by sharing videos of corruption facts. In total, since 2020, 26 employees of various departments have been suspended, fired or had their passes revoked due to misconduct.
Interestingly, women employees make up the majority of the perpetrators.
Following these incidents, the UCAA enacts a law requiring all airport employees to wear name badges for ease of identification. The Aviation Authority will also tighten the rules introduced in 2021 by completely banning the use of mobile phones by airport employees.
As Uganda's only international airport and African aviation hub, the airport hosts many visitors throughout the year. Located on the equator at 00.020 N latitude and 320 E longitude, it is known as the “Equator Airport”. The peninsula, where the air harbor is located, borders on the largest freshwater reservoir in Africa — Lake Victoria.
The airport serves the world's largest airlines, including Kenya Airways, Emirates, KLM and Ethiopian Airlines. Tourists come here to learn about the airport's history and enjoy the scenic views.
Entebbe is currently undergoing expansion and renovation work. Passengers traveling to the East African nation will soon be able to take advantage of a refurbished runway, a new passenger terminal and a cargo hub.
Authorities have said the project will be completed by 2024. TURIZM.RU