Magistrate warns suspect against threatening witnesses

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Grade I Magistrate in the Anti-Corruption Court, Albert Asiimwe has warned John Bosco Sentamu, the senior settlement commandant office of the Prime Minister at Nakivale refugee settlement camp against threatening state witnesses.

Sentamu, Bruno Asiimwe, the assistant settlement commandant office of the Prime Minister and Hauziri Lugemwa Ali, the headmaster Nakivale Secondary School in Isingiro district were in June 2020 charged with six counts of fraudulent false accounting before the Anti-Corruption court.

Before the hearing commenced on Monday, State Prosecutor James Kawuka told the court that he had received complaints from witnesses against Sentamu.

According to Kawuka, witnesses told him that they were being threatened if they testify against Sentamu. He added that the witnesses are being asked to accept money and also sign an agreement that they had lost interest in the case.

Kawuka also asked the court to cancel the suspects’ bail.

But Sentamu denied the allegations noting that he has never communicated to the witnesses.

Asiimwe however stayed the bail and warned Sentamu against threatening the witnesses.

According to the prosecution, in September 2016 at Kabahinda police post in Nakivale refugee settlement, the accused persons were privy to making false entries in the compensation agreement between eight refugees, OPM officials and Windle Trust Uganda.

The suspects falsely indicated that the refugees were paid 18 million shillings as compensation for their crops on a 2-acre piece of land that was being expanded for Nakivale Secondary School.

However, Sentamu is being charged separately on another offence of fraudulent false accounting where it is alleged that he falsely indicated that plotters were paid one million shillings as facilitation for securing alternative land for refugees affected by the expansion of Nakivale Secondary School.

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