Hearing of Gashumba fraud case flops

KAMPALA. The case in which political activist and social entrepreneur Frank Gashumba is charged with fraud flopped on Monday due to the ongoing prosecutors’ strike.

In October this year, state prosecutors under the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) laid down their tools citing government’s failure to fulfil its promises by raising their pay as promised.
On November 6, Mr Gashumba was arraigned before the Chief Magistrates Court at Buganda Road over accusations of impersonation to defraud investors and the government of South Sudan.

Mr Gashumba, identified in court documents also as Frank Ssenyondo Disans, was jointly charged with his brother Innocent Kasumba alias Simon Mutabazi. Also indicted is Ismail Kiyingi, a Tour and Travel guide attached to M.J Safaris Company.

The trio who are out on bail appeared before Grade One Magistrate, Mr Samuel Kagoda, on Monday. They were informed that the trial Chief Magistrate, Mr James Eremye Mawanda, was not available.
Mr Kagoda also told the suspects that the case could not proceed because the prosecutor was indisposed. He adjourned the case to December 11, this year, for mention before issuing criminal summons against Mr Gashumba who arrived late in court.
The suspects had been expected to take a plea on Monday based on earlier instructions by Chief Magistrate Eremye.

The court read charges of alleged personation, forgery, unlawful possession of narcotic drugs and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Mr Gashumba presented MP Joseph Sewungu, Emmanuel Musoke (a former Kalungu District chairman) and city businessman John Ssebaggala as sureties, but none was in court on Monday.
The state alleges that on September 12, at Tulip Golden Hotel – Kafu Road in Nakasero, Kampala, and with intent to defraud Kolgvan M. Dirutop and Manu Meerscgham of Holland, Mr Gashumba falsely represented himself to be Col Francis Okello, the director of logistics in Uganda’s Defence ministry.

[email protected]