BoU officials charged, remanded

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Anti-Corruption Court has remanded two Bank of Uganda officials on charges of corruption and abuse of office.

The two are Francis Kakeeto, the Assistant Director Mbale Currency Centre and Fred Wanyama Vito, the BoU verification officer.

Prosecution alleges that the suspects on April, 26th, 2019 between France, Belgium and Entebbe International Airport allowed the inclusion of unauthorized cargo on a plane chartered by BoU.

Prosecution states that Kakeeto and Wanyama on the same date also corruptly neglected to perform their duty when they failed to refute or report the inclusion of unauthorized cargo on the plane.

The suspects denied the charges and were remanded by the Grade one Magistrate Abert Asiimwe to Luzira Prison until June, 25th, 2019.

Moments later, the suspects later through their lawyer, Samuel Ejoku Oonyu applied for bail arguing that it’s their constitutional right.

Kakeeto presented three sureties, Irene Nakalangwa his sister also a Banker at Bank of Baroda, Charles Kamuregeya his friend and a Teacher at Mbogo Mixed Secondary School in Kawanda a Kampala suburb and his wife Prossy Kakeeto also a Banker with Bank of Baroda.

Wanyama also presented two sureties who didn’t have valid National Identification cards.  They were his brother Gilbert Bwire, a Businessman, residing from Mukono District and Richard Mangeni.

However, the State Prosecutor Innocent Amiitos opposed the application arguing that the sureties are not substantial.

Asiimwe denied the suspects bail on grounds that they didn’t have valid documents to qualify for bail. He, however, advised them to reapply for bail on Tuesday.

On May 3, BoU Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile wrote to the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Lt Col Edith Nakalema to conduct a probe into an extra cargo on the BoU plane.

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