By Spy Uganda
Legal Brains Trust Chief Executive Officer, Isaac Ssemakadde has issued a ”last warning” to Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo to reinstate the Shs142b markets compensation corruption case against businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba and his brother Muzamiru Basajjabalaba or face a court battle.
In a presser held today at Club Obligato, Ssemakade and senior journalist turned lawyer Gawaya Tegulle vowed to drag Abodo to court if she ‘continues shielding corrupt mafias whose wealth is mushrooming at high speed as poor taxpayers continue to perish in poverty.’
For some of our readers who don’t know the genesis of this, the Office of DPP in October lost interest in the case matter in which Basajjabalaba and his brother Muzamiru obtained Ugx142b money from the government as compensation for the city markets that were in control of the businessman under a lease.
In his application, Ssemakadde accused Basajjabalaba of forgery of a judicial document, uttering of a false document, and conspiracy to defeat tax laws amounting to Ugx20 billion off the Ugx142 billion.
In last week’s presser, Ssemakadde tasked DPP to go public about this matter and tell Ugandans why she had withdrawn the case. As a result of this, DPP this week via a couple of media houses responded to Ssemakadde saying that she withdrew the case because;
1. Witnesses in the case died
2. Lack of certified copies of this matter
3. People had been derailed by the long drawn-out intervention by the superior courts
4. People had moved on and institutions had changed, among other reasons.
Via one of the local dailies, however, DPP’s Spokesperson Jacquelyn Okui contradicted her boss when she was quoted as saying that the case was withdrawn from the court for investigations to be concluded before prosecution, adding that the investigation includes certification of ‘important documents’.
Ssemakadde Fumes
In today’s presser Ssemakadde termed DDP’s reasons for withdrawal of the case as unlawful, spurious, and worrisome.
”Let her know we have caught her red-handed trying to promote corruption in this country. She misled the public on some radios and TV that her duty is not obliged to account, forgetting that she is under the law not above as she brags, so we task her now to go back to the media and swallow those lies she made,” said Ssemakadde.
Ssemakadde trashed Okui’s claims of unconcluded investigations saying before the case was withdrawn, DPP presented an amended charge and informed the chief magistrate at the Anti Corruption Court by then Her Worship Irene Akankwasa that investigations had been concluded.
”Ugandans should also know that Abodo’s excuse for the certified documents of this matter is neither credible nor convincing because the crucial document, in this case, is the uttered documents to the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Office of the Auditor General (OAG), and Chambers of the Attorney General (AG),” Ssemakadde went ahead to pour down Abodo’s excuses.” He also wondered,” have police, and DPP faced noncooperation from these public offices in pursuit of certified copies?”
Ssemakadde further wondered how DPP came to the conclusion of seeing Bassajabalaba brushed off the bail conditions of the Anti-Corruption Court including getting back his passport which gives him the freedom to fly at any time he is hunted for prosecution.
Ssemakadde also said DPP would not have fronted the excuse of six weeks grace period of Anti Corruption Court. He accused her office of unjustifiably throwing away the ‘best chance’ to apply to the court in terms of section 53 of Anti Corruption Act for a restraining order, restraining the disposal of any property or in possession or under the control of Basajabalabas which gives them the freedom to transfer or hide their properties in case they wish so.
From the above background, the Ssemakadde tasked Abodo to provide him with an unequivocal statement of her intentions to withdraw the case.
”We request and require you to provide us on or before 20th December 2022, your secret reasons for withdrawing the case as well as the date for the resumption of the prosecution of Basajjabalaba brothers,” said Ssemakadde adding; ”Should we not hear from you by the said date, we will be compelled to act against you for abuse of office and willful failure to comply with the lawful directives of the President and orders of the superior courts.”
On his part, Counsel Gawaya said that corruption in Uganda can only be defeated if the wanainchi wake up and join the struggle.
”Ugandans should not leave this war to us the lawyers, we know the law, they know these corrupt mafias, let them show them to us and support us because filling these cases means spending a lot of money,” said Gawaya.
He also called upon Ugandans to start ‘sanctioning’ corruption masters and their businesses.
”Ugandans should start sanctions buildings of Basajjabalaba and his other businesses. This is the only way we shall kick this vice out of ruthless people of this nation, the ones holding offices that would be against Corruption like the Office Of DPP are the ones shielding those we are fighting.”
Meanwhile, the lawyers launched a campaign aiming at generating financial resources from Ugandans to help them in their legal war against corruption in Uganda.
”Just like I earlier mentioned, we can’t win this war alone, so it’s our humble request that at least let every Ugandan make a small deposit of Ugx10k or even above on numbers; +256741-783-181 or 0789204341 in the names of Isaac Ssemakadde.”
