Five people, including three Members of Parliament (MPs), accused of diversion of cooperatives funds will have to wait at least for another week before they are granted bail.
They are NRM MPs Michael Mawanda (Igara East), Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu (Elgon County), and Paul Akamba (Busiki County), lawyer Julius Taitankoko Kirya and Mr Leonard Kavundira Principal Cooperative Officer from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
They are accused of allegedly diverting Shs3.4 billion meant for war loss compensation by government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society for their personal use.
On Tuesday, the group appeared before the Anti-Corruption court presided over by the Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro for the hearing of their bail application.
Through their lawyers, the group argued that they have fixed places of abode, they are still presumed innocent, offences against them are bailable and have substantial sureties among others.
But the group, who have been in prison for the last three weeks, were further remanded until July 18.
This was after prosecution led by Mr Adrine Tusingwire asked court for more time to verify the bulky documents that were presented by the sureties.
“Your worship we seek for a short adjournment to enable us to verify the details and particulars of the sureties presented in support of the bail application. We cannot say that we have done all the background checks and we are sure given the short time that we have received these documents in court,” Mr Tusingwire said.
Under count one, it is prosecution’s case that MP Mwanda in the month of October, 2021 in Kampala converted public funds amounting to Shs 1,050 billion for purposes unrelated to that for which the resources were intended to wit war loss compensation by the government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited for his own benefit.
Under count two; it is prosecution case that MP Mudimi between the months of October 2021 and June 2023 in Kampala converted public funds amounting over 2.3billion for purposes unrelated to that for which the resources were intended to wit war loss compensation by the government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited for his own benefit.
Under count three; it is prosecution case that MP Akamba between the months of May 2023 and June 2023 in Kampala converted public funds amounting to Shs 200million for purposes unrelated to that for which the resources were intended to wit war loss compensation by the government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited for his own benefit.
Under count four; it is prosecution case that Mr Taitankoko between the months of October 2021 to June 2023 transferred public funds amounting to Shs2.2billion for purposes unrelated to that for which the resources were intended to wit war loss compensation by the government to Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited for his own benefit.
The Director of Public Prosecutions under court five contends that between 2019 and 2023, Mwanda, Mudimi, Akamba, Taitankoko and Kavundira conspired to defraud the government Shs3.4 billion which was intended for war loss compensation Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society Limited.
Meanwhile the High Court Judge Lawrence Gidudu has set August 2 to begin the hearing of the case in which MP Akamba, Ms Cissy Namujju Dionizia, (District Woman Representative Lwengo) and Mr Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East County) .
The prosecution alleges that the trio legislators on May 13 this year at Hotel Africana allegedly solicited from Mariam Wangadya the chair of the Human Rights Commission (UHRC) an undue advantage of 20% of the anticipated enhanced budget of her Commission for the financial year 2024/25 by asserting that they were able to exert improper influence over the decision making of the Budget Committee of Parliament to increase the commission budget, in consideration of the said u due advantage.