Kampala: Mukula returns to jail, Desh gets bail

By ANTHONY WESAKA AND BETTY NDAGIREE

Former junior Health Minister Mike Mukula was yesterday sent back to prison after hearing of his appeal failed, as businessman Andrew Kananura alias Desh, was granted temporary freedom.

Mukula appeared before the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, 16 days after he was jailed for embezzlement, while Mr Kananura was released on bail by the High Court and the Chief Magistrates Court at Buganda Road where he faces separate charges.

David Wangutusi referred Mukula’s appeal to Friday upon submission that the records from the Chief Magistrates Court had ‘some fundamental legal errors’. Court heard that the record to be relied upon during the appeal process was not certified by the trial Chief Magistrate Irene Akankwasa.

On January 18, Ms Akankwasa convicted Mukula of embezzling Shs210 million from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) account and sentenced him to four years in jail. But the Soroti Municipality MP has since appealed against the verdict. Justice Wangutsi adjourned the case to allow Ms Akankwasa correct and also certify the queried court record.

Mr Elly Karuhanga, one of Mukula’s lawyers, who attended the closed-door session in the judge’s chambers, said: “The record of proceedings was not okay as it had many errors.... The same court record was also not certified.” 

Public prosecutor Sydney Asubo, who attended the meeting, confirmed the same reasons for the adjournment.

At the Criminal Division of the High Court, Justice Lameck Mukasa granted bail to Mr Kananura after paying Shs20 million and presenting three sureties. He was also ordered to deposit his passport to court and report to the Commandant of the Police Special Investigations Unit every month.

It is alleged that on September 31, 2012, Mr Kananura together with his brother Raymond and three others, beat to death Badru Kateregga, a former bar attendant at Panamera Bar owned by the Mr Kananura, after they allegedly found him with a Shs30,000 tip he received from customers.

Meanwhile, at Buganda Road Court where he faces charges of fraud, Mr Kananura was granted a cash bail of Shs5 million upon presenting two sureties. The State alleges that between November 19 and December 23, 2011, in Kampala, Mr Kananura obtained Shs340 million from Hajj Sulait Ssemakula of SEMA properties pretending that he was going to supply him a caterpillar grader whereas not.

Source: Daily Monitor (05/02/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mukula-back-to-jail--Desh-gets-freedom/-/688334/1684730/-/bx7qsaz/-/index.html