Former UBC MD Paul Kihika back to Luzira on fresh charges

Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Bailed former UBC Managing Director Paul Kihika has been taken back to Luzira Prison, this time by the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court on charges of giving false information to police.

Kihika had on Monday been released on bail by the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of embezzlement.

He has however, Wednesday morning been produced before Grade One Magistrate Christine Nantege.

He has pleaded not guilty to one count of giving false information and has been remanded until August 15, 2017 since he had no surities in court to bail him out again.

Prosecution says that Kihika allegedly reported a case of theft of his mobile phone at Jinja road police station, while falsely accusing the head of media crimes in police Emmanuel Mbonimpa to have stolen it; yet the same had just been confiscated for purposes of investigations.

This is the second time in a space of one week when Kihika is being charged and remanded to prison, the first being on August 02, 2017 when he appeared before the Anti-corruption court for alleged embezzlement of 9,510 Us dollars meant for an official trip to China.

Ex-UBC MD Paul Kihika has told court that he doesn’t understand English, asks for an interpreter. He has been sent back to prison. #NTVNews pic.twitter.com/T6M12b94W3

— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) August 9, 2017

Kihika’s woes

Kihika had on Mondya been granted bail by the Anti-corruption court.

Grade One Magistrate Pamella Lamunu had then ordered that he pays 3.5m shs cash, deposit his passport with court, and his surities sign a noncash bond of 30mshs to ensure Kihika’s return to court on Sept 04, 2017.

He was represented by his lawyer Jotham Mugarura who argued the bail application on constitutional grounds, and presented four surities who included family and friends.

Prosecution’s Innocent Aleto informed court that investigations into Kihika’s case are still on going.

Last Wednesday, the former MD was arraigned before court to answer charges of embezzlement, plus an alternative count of causing his employer a financial loss of 9,510 Us dollars.

Court heard that Kihika knowingly received the money between May and August 2014 for an official trip to China which he did not attend, thereby causing UBC a financial loss of 9,510 Us dollars, about 34million shillings in Uganda Currency.

He has since denied the allegation saying the money in question was stolen when his office was broken into and the accountability taken, and that the Directorate of Public Prosecution has also cleared him of the said charges.