Kampala: Basajjabalaba appears in court

By Juliet Kigongo

City Businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba was yesterday charged with fraud in connection with alleged forgery of a consent document which led to payment of Shs142 billion.

Mr Basajjabalaba, jointly charged with one Muzamiru Basajjabalaba, appeared before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Eleanor Khainza for plea and denied the charges.

The duo was charged with three cases of conspiracy to defeat tax laws, forgery of a court document and uttering a false document.

Ms Khainza ordered for the release of the accused persons after paying Shs30 million each and presenting sureties. She also extended the case to February 12 for mention.

Prosecution led by a private prosecutor, Mr Allan Mulindwa, alleges that between 2010 and 2011 in Kampala, the two conspired to prevent enforcement of tax laws in respect of over Shs20 billion arising from a compensation award by government to Haba Group of Companies.

Consent judgment forged

It is alleged that on October 6, 2010, the two accused persons forged a consent judgment purporting to be entered between Haba Group of Companies and the Attorney General, such that the latter pays Shs142 billion, saying that it would not be subjected to tax levies.

The two accused persons were dragged to court by a private businessman Mr Bernard Kakande, citing public interest about a lot of theft of public funds in the country alleging that it had been neglected by both police and government.

He further stated that these two bodies (police and government) have not done much to prosecute the persons engaged in these gross misappropriation of funds.

Source: Daily Monitor (16/01/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Basajja-appears-in-court/-/688334/1666840/-/xh4ttv/-/index.html