KAMPALA – A Ugandan court is expected to rule on a bail application filed by interdicted finance ministry official Pedson Twesigomwe, who is charged in the 60 billion shilling Bank of Uganda (BoU) heist case.
Anti-Corruption Court head Justice Lawrence Gidudu fixed the ruling for March 17 after hearing the application on March 5.
Twesigomwe’s lawyers, Ronald Oine and Mackay Robert, who appeared alongside David Kaggwa, Christine Atukwase, and Norin Aceng, argued that their client has substantial sureties who will ensure his appearance in court whenever he is required.
“My lord, the applicant before you, is still presumed innocent, he has a permanent place of abode and substantial sureties and he will not abscond his trial,” Oine said.
Twesigomwe presented MPs Roland Ndyomugenyi (Rukiga County) and Moses Kamuntu (Rubanda West), and finance ministry accountant Davis Barugahare as his sureties.
“We pray that you find these three sureties presented before you substantial and admit the applicant on bail pending his trial,” Oine added.
However, chief state attorney Richard Birivumbuka and senior state attorney Nam Terpista from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) opposed the application, arguing that Twesigomwe is likely to jump bail.
Twesigomwe is facing the charges alongside Accountant General Lawrence Ssemakula, 58, Jennifer Muhuruzi, 55, (commissioner treasury services), Tony Yawe, 46, (senior IT officer), Paul Nkalubo Lumala, 40 (IT systems officer), Deborah Dorothy Kusiima, 33 (senior accountant), Judith Ashaba, 43 (accountant), Bettina Nayebare, 31 (research assistant accountant), and Mark Kasiiku, 33 (IT specialist).
Semakula, Muhuruzi, Lumala, Kusiima, Ashaba, and Nayebare were released on bail on March 3. Yawe and Kasiiku were denied bail because they did not present securities that court could rely on to grant bail.
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