Experts reporting to the United Nations Security Council are investigating whether a Belgian gold dealer who has been sanctioned by the United States may have used a Ugandan passport to continue operating internationally, according to diplomats and officials familiar with the inquiry.
The investigation focuses on Alain Goetz, whose company — African Gold Refinery — was sanctioned by Washington over allegations that it smuggled gold, including shipments linked to Venezuela, into Uganda. As part of the U.S. sanctions, Goetz’s assets held in American banks were frozen and dealings with his firm were prohibited.
Diplomats say that United Nations experts have obtained documentation suggesting Goetz may have traveled using a Ugandan passport issued under the name “Alan Goetz,” with biographical details and a photograph that match the sanctioned trader. “The passport records raise serious red flags,” one official said, referring to what they described as irregularities in the issuance process.
Another source told investigators that the alleged use of Ugandan travel documents has become a central focus of the probe, because if confirmed it could indicate deliberate efforts to evade sanctions. “If confirmed, this would significantly elevate the case from an individual sanctions breach to questions about institutional exposure,” they said.
UN investigators are also examining claims that after U.S. sanctions were imposed, Goetz shifted assets and operations into a new entity, THABA Investments, using intermediaries to hold shares on his behalf. Such proxy arrangements are viewed by sanctions enforcement officials as a common technique used to evade restrictions, although no formal determination has yet been made.
The dossier under review reportedly includes references to related disputes and security incidents outside Uganda. These reportedly include commercial claims in Dubai over unpaid Venezuelan gold shipments, as well as intelligence suggesting that Goetz was targeted in a prior attack while operating in Burundi and later expelled from Rwanda amid allegations of criminal activity — none of which have been tested in court.
For Uganda, the timing of the investigation is sensitive. Gold has become one of the country’s largest export earners, and authorities have worked to position Kampala as a compliant refining and trading hub. A finding by UN experts that Ugandan documentation or systems were misused could intensify scrutiny of the sector and raise the risk of broader sanctions or regulatory consequences.
Goetz could not be reached for comment, and efforts by the reporting outlet to contact him through known associates and intermediaries were unsuccessful. Ugandan government officials have also not publicly responded to the allegations. Security Council officials emphasise that the investigation is ongoing and that no conclusions have been reached.
