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BoU heist: 8 officials charged, sent to jail
Senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, implicated in the Bank of Uganda heist, have been arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala and charged with corruption, abuse of office, and money laundering involving Shs50 billion. Photo | Abubakar Lubowa
What you need to know:
- The group was Thursday evening arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate, Rachael Nakyazze.
Eight senior Ministry of Finance officials have been charged and remanded to Luzira prison in connection with the alleged theft of Shs53 billion that was spirited away from the Bank of Uganda.
These are; the Accountant General in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Lawwrence Ssemakula, 58; the acting director of Treasury Services and Asset Management, Ms Jennifer Muhuruzi, 55; Mr Tonny Yawe, 46, a senior IT officer; and Mr Paul Nkalubo Lumala, 40, a systems IT officer; Ms Deborah Dorothy Kusiima, 33, a senior accountant in the Treasury Services Department. Others are Ms Judith Ashaba, 43, an accountant; Ms Bettina Nayebare, 31, a research assistant; and Mr Mark Kasiiku, 33, an IT systems officer. The group was yesterday arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Rachael Nakyazze.
Only 11 counts, which include five corruption charges, two counts of causing financial loss, one count of abuse of office, two counts of electronic fraud and one count of money laundering were read to them. The group was not allowed to take plea to the charge of money laundering as it is only triable by the High Court. Court also issued criminal summonses against Mr Pedson Twesigomwe, 45, the assistant commissioner, after she failed to turn up in court.
The prosecution led by Mr Richard Birivubuka, told court that investigations in the matter are still ongoing thus seeking for an adjournment. However, one of the defence lawyers, Mr Maxim Mutabingwa, asked the court to grant bail to the suspects who were not facing a charge of money laundering. “What the state is saying is wrong, they are forgetting the simple criminal procedure, at this time, the accused are coming to take a plea. The constitutional rights of the accused persons are at stake,” he said.
Mr Mutabingwa also asked the court to be availed with the charge sheet so that he could know the charges against his clients and their committal paper.
However, Ms Nakyazze ruled that the suspects had appeared for the reading of charges, not committal as alleged by the defence lawyers. She explained that the reading was only to inform the accused persons of the charges against them and once the prosecution completes its investigations, the suspects will be committed to the High Court for trial Ms Nakyazze also ordered that the charge sheet be made available to the accused as they are entitled to know the charges against them.
“On the issue of their rights being at stake the good thing about the Anti-Corruption Court is that the High Court seats within the same premises with the Chief Magistrate,” she said. “The counsel for the said accused persons can apply for their bail even as early as tomorrow. In the premises this matter is adjourned for mention and criminal summons issued for A3 (accused three),” she added
