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BoU technician charged over damaging 31 ACs
Christopher Sebirumbi, 48, in the dock at Buganda Road Court on May 22, 2024. Photo | Juliet Kigongo.
What you need to know:
- While pleading guilty, Sebirumbi explained that he has been working with the central bank for over 27 years, having joined in 1997.
Christopher Sebirumbi, a 48-year-old lift technician at the Bank of Uganda, has been charged with maliciously damaging 31 air conditioners belonging to the bank.
He appeared before Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha at the Buganda Road Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to the charge.
While pleading guilty, Sebirumbi explained that he has been working with the central bank for over 27 years, having joined in 1997.
He stated that on May 7, 2024, while performing his daily work, he accidentally caused damage to the air conditioners.
"I did not intentionally cause the damage," he said, asking for forgiveness.
The prosecution, led by Ms Lydia Nakato, requested a deterrent sentence to mitigate the unspecified loss incurred by the bank in repairing the damaged air conditioners.
However, Magistrate Owomugisha spared Sebirumbi the maximum seven-year imprisonment penalty and instead sentenced him to a caution.
"The accused person has saved court's time and had no criminal motive. The damage to the air conditioners was accidental, since he has no such record for the 27 years he has worked with the bank," Ms Owomugisha held.
The punishment for malicious damage if found guilty is seven years imprisonment.
