At least six people including three bankers and two lawyers have been remanded by the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala for conspiring to defraud Tropical Bank Limited of 2.1 billion Shillings.
The suspects are Hajjara Nansubuga, Faridah Nasiiwa, and Deborah Acen, all bankers from Tropical Bank Limited, Paul Kiggundu, and Kenneth Nsubuga Ssebagayuga, both lawyers and city businessman/Land Broker Muzafaru Lukanika Kamoga.
The suspects appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro on Tuesday who read for them three counts of causing financial loss and conspiracy to defraud Tropical Bank Limited through irregular payment to a businessman and law firms in a bogus land transaction.
The Court has heard that the suspects together with others still at large on July 22nd, 2021, and July 26th, 2022 while at the Tropical Bank in Kawempe Branch in Kampala City, irregularly processed payment of 900 million Shillings to Imran Advocates and Solicitors for the purpose of the land comprised in Bulemezi Block 886 plot 2 at Mukono.
It is also alleged that on July 30th, 2021, the accused persons irregularly processed payment of 585 million Shillings to Nsubuga KS and Company Advocates for the purpose of land comprised of Namande Block 68 plot 43 in Mityana District.
The prosecution also told the court that the accused persons further processed payment of 642.5 million Shillings for businessman Muhammed Kembere on August 4th, 2021, and August 9th, 2022. According to the prosecution, the said transactions were conducted in disregard of the proper bank procedures and payment processes.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded to Luzira prison until September 14th, 2022 when they will return to apply for bail. Sources told our reporter that the monies were illegally deducted from the account of Charles Kodo, a customer of Tropical bank. This is not the first group of suspects being charged before the Anti-Corruption Court in relation to fraud in Tropical bank.
In December 2021, seven other suspects from the bank appeared before the same court in relation to more than Shillings one billion they irregularly paid to Margret Nabbona as an administrator of the Estate of Abdurezzagh Elmrabet, a Libyan National and the holder of the defrauded account. In a related development, the Anti-corruption court has also charged Patrick Nyeko, the Sector Manager for the National Forestry Authority in Kaabong district with abuse of office and granted him a cash bail of 1.5 million Shillings.
It is alleged that between May and June 2015, while performing his duties as a Forest Officer, Nyeko knowingly flouted the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund -2 guidelines and misused 3.1 million Shillings that was meant for the purchase of assorted farm tools for 51 sub-projects in Kaabong District.
Prosecutors argued that his actions were arbitrary and prejudicial to the interest of the government. The State Attorney Mikka Luteete, who is handling Nyeko’s case said investigations are incomplete. The court adjourned the matter to October 4th, 2022.
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