Bagyenda case: BoU staff released on bail, another to appear in court tomorrow

BoU security officer, Ms Beatrice Kyambadde at City Hall Court on December 4, 2018. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA

What you need to know:

  • The Parliamentary Committee heard that Mr Moro and Ms Kyambadde who were manning the access points that Ms Bagyenda used, allowed her in and out without conducting the requisite checks as spelt out in the BoU security manual.

KAMPALA. A female security personnel working at the Bank of Uganda (BoU) has been released on bail pending trial in connection with accusations of neglecting her duty of conducting requisite checks.
The Magistrate’s Court sitting at the City Hall in Kampala on Monday ordered for the release of Ms Beatrice Kyambadde, after spending a week on remand at Luzira Prison.

Grade One Magistrate Mr Patrick Talisuna released Ms Kyambadde on cash bail of Shs500,000 and ordered her to report back to court on January 14 next year for mention of her case.
Ms Kyambadde was arrested jointly with her colleague, Mr Charles Mollo on orders of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) that is investigating the closure of several commercial banks.

Mr Mollo is expected to appear tomorrow (December 11) before the presiding magistrate, Ms Beatrice Kayinza for ruling on his bail application.
The closed banks include Teefe Trust Bank which was closed in 1993, International Credit Bank Limited (1998), Greenland Bank (1999), The Co-operative Bank (1999), National Bank of Commerce (2012), Global Trust Bank (2014) and the sale of Crane Bank Limited to dfcu (2016).
The suspects were arraigned before separate magistrates where they denied charges of alleged neglect of duty.

They were arrested jointly with the bodyguard and driver of former BoU executive director for Supervision, Ms Justine Bagyenda. Both the driver and body guard were not presented in court.
Prosecution alleges that on February 10 and March 14 this year respectively at the Central Bank, Ms Kyambadde and Mr Moro being employed as security assistants in a public body, neglected to perform their duty as required to search people and bags entering and getting out of the central bank.

It is alleged that the neglect of duty is in connection with critical documents that were secretly smuggled out of the Central Bank.
The Parliamentary Committee heard that Mr Mollo and Ms Kyambadde who were manning the access points that Ms Bagyenda used, allowed her in and out without conducting the requisite checks as spelt out in the BoU security manual.
The duo had initially told a sub-committee chaired by the Army MP, Brig Francis Takirwa, that they drove Ms Bagyenda from Entebbe airport directly to BoU.