Africa-Press – Uganda. COURT|UPDF|FRAUD
KAMPALA – Three senior army officers are on trial before the General Court Martial (GCM) for purportedly creating a ghost pensioner identified as Maureen Nekesa. Prosecution, led by Maj. Elly Byaruhanga, alleges that the trio created ghost Nekesa, whom they claimed to be the widow of a retired soldier they thought was dead, yet he is alive. The accused are Maj. Ismail Mwangwa Kakaire (47), Capt. Gerald Byamugisha (37) and Capt. Lameck Kimula (34). Kakaire and Kimula are officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) attached to Chieftaincy of Pensions and Gratuity (COPG), as an intelligence and staff officer, respectively. Byamugisha is COPG’s former staff officer. Court documents indicate that the soldiers, between January and April 2018, allegedly conspired with Stanley Wejuli alias Guloba, Robert Bwire and Nekesa to defraud Cpl Emmanuel Twesigye of his pension benefits. The accused persons have since denied the charge of conspiracy, contrary to section 180 of the UPDF Act, 2005 before the army court chairperson, Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti. According to the Act, a person subject to military law, who conspires with any other person, to commit a service offence, is on conviction liable to imprisonment not exceeding five years. Gutti released Kakaire and Kimula on a non-cash bail of sh10m. Their sureties were directed to execute a noncash bail of sh5m. “Court finds merit in your bail application, but you are ordered not to go beyond Kampala and Wakiso district,” Gen. Gutti said. The court chairperson also ordered the accused to report to the court registrar, Maj. John Bizimana, twice a month. “Report to court whenever required. Breach of the terms will lead to automatic cancellation of your bail,” Gutti added. Gutti ruled that the accused have fixed places of abode in Bombo, Luwero district and Kawempe in Kampala. Gutti also reasoned that the offence is bailable. He said although the offence is serious in nature, the accused have presented in court substantial sureties to warrant their release on bail. “The accused do not have the capacity to interfere with investigations if released on bail,” he noted. Meanwhile, the bail application ruling of accused Byamugisha is still pending, awaiting a response from the state prosecutor. Arrest The army officers were arrested after Twesigye, the retired Airforce veteran, showed up. Court documents, however, do not indicate whether the accused withdrew money or not. WitnessAccording to reliable sources, Nekesa, who was released on bond, will be used as a prosecution witness, to pin the accused of the crime.
