The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Buganda road Magistrates Court has remanded Margaret Nakayima commonly known as Nabbi omukazi on charges related to defrauding unsuspecting Ugandans more than 4.5 billion shillings.
Nabbi omukazi has been remanded to Kigo government prison by Grade one Magistrate Dorothy Barigye on three separate files related to conspiracy to obtaining money by false pretense and being an accessory after the fact.
The prosecution alleges that on November 15th, 2020, between Kampala and Mutukula border in Kyotera district, Nabbi omukazi assisted in hiding Pastor Sirajje Ssemanda whom she knew “was guilty” of an offense and her intention was to enable him escape punishment.
But the 31-year old denied the offense and her lawyer Robert Rutaro asked for bail on grounds that Nabbi omukazi is very ill as she is suffering from acute asthmatic attack, cough associated with sneezing and nasal blockage since two days ago. He noted that her doctors from Kimera clinic Munaku advised her to continue getting treatment.
Rutaro also told court that they have serious objections to the charges in as far as the law regarding to accessory after the fact is concerned.
Rutaro explained that the law clearly says that the person being aided by the accused should either be a person undergoing trial in courts of law or one that is already charged before the courts of law and already in the knowledge of the accused which he noted is not the case with Nabbi omukazi.
He added that the charges are therefore defective as Nabbi omukazi had no knowledge that Pastor Ssemanda had charges against him. But the Magistrate couldn’t grant their applications arguing that the trial Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu will be the one to handle it.
Nabbi omukazi is jointly charged with three others who are in Kitalya prison and they include; Pastor Sirajje Ssemanda and a lawyer/Director of Hands Across the Initiative Uganda Limited Jimmy Arinaitwe and Pastor Franklin Mugisha Mondo who is yet to be charged formally.
The prosecution alleges that the group and others still at large falsely obtained more than 4.5 billion shillings from dozens of people on different occasions. This was reportedly done by falsely pretending that their organization Hands Across the World Uganda Limited would construct churches for the pastors, houses for the needy, offer scholarships and educate the needy children in the community from whose parents the money was collected which was not true.
According to the evidence by the prosecution led by Elizabeth Nandala, the money was collected from parents in places of Bombo, Luweero, Iganga, Kaliro, Tororo and Kampala districts between 2014 and 2020.
Trouble for the accused started after their victims waited to benefit from the projects promised to them but in vain.
When they realised that the promises were not maturing, they petitioned the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate them.
Detectives attached to the unit first arrested Pastor Ssemanda whom they say was found trying to flee the country via Mutukula border and then later Arinaitwe and Nabbi Omukazi followed suit.
Musician and presidential advisor Catherine Kusasira and Pastor Mondo who spent nights at Wandegeya police station also recorded statements to this alleged fraud and were released on police bond.
It is alleged that they had obtained money claiming that they are well connected to President Museveni and his brother General Salim Saleh.
The group will now return to court on December 22, 2020 via video conferencing link connecting to their respective prisons.
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