Pension case: Lwamafa, Obey, Kunsa remanded to Luzira
(L-R) Mr Obey, Mr Kunsa and Mr Lwamafa before being remanded. Photo by Dominic Bukenya
By ANTHONY WESAKA
Posted Wednesday, August 19 2015 at 14:27KAMPALA- Former Public Service permanent secretary Jimmy Lwamafa along with former principle accountant, Christopher Obey have been charged and remanded in connection to alleged fraudulent budgeting of over Shs88 billion of civil servants’ contribution to National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Posted Wednesday, August 19 2015 at 14:27KAMPALA- Former Public Service permanent secretary Jimmy Lwamafa along with former principle accountant, Christopher Obey have been charged and remanded in connection to alleged fraudulent budgeting of over Shs88 billion of civil servants’ contribution to National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
Also charged and remanded is Mr Stephen Kunsa Kiwanuka, the former Director Research & Development.
The suspects who appeared before
the Anti Corruption Court in Kololo, an upscale suburb of Kampala, were
responding to earlier summons of the court sent out to them last week.
This was after the Director of
Public Prosecutions (DPP) reinstated the pension charges, four months
later, following resounding public outcry after the initial pension
case of Shs165 billion was dismissed by the same court citing failure by
prosecution to adduce even a single witness in court, two years on.
According to the charge sheet
presented to court Wednesday, the suspects face charges ranging from;
causing financial loss, abuse of office, false accounting to conspiracy
to defraud the government.
They denied all the charges slapped against them by the DPP.
But presiding Chief Magistrate
Sarah Langa Siu decided to remand them after the prosecution led by
principle state attorney Jane Abodo presented to court a summary of the
case saying investigations were complete and that they should be
committed to the High Court to stand trial.
The presiding magistrate
explained that her court did not have jurisdiction to entertain any
applications for bail by the suspects once they were committed to the
High Court for trial.
Ms Langa’s refusal to entertain
the suspects bail application saw lead defense lawyer Nsubuga Mubiru who
wanted to secure bail for his clients locked in a verbal hot exchange
with the magistrate.
The prosecution in its charge
sheet states that in the financial years 2010/11 and 2011/12, the
suspects in their various employment capacities, did an act of
prejudicial to the interest of their employer by making budgetary
provisions of over Shs88 billion as NSSF contribution while knowing that
that civil servants are exempted from contributing to NSSF.
Mr Lwamafa and group can only apply for bail in the High Court.
