Supreme Court Conducts Pre-Hearing of 22 Criminal Appeals

Supreme Court Justice Mike Chibita is presiding over the Pre-hearing of 22 Criminal Appeals ahead of the main hearing scheduled to start next week from 9th -22nd December, 2020 before a panel of Five Justices of the same  court.

According to the Court’s Registrar Ssali Harriet Nalukwago, the purpose of today’s Pre-hearing is for the parties in these cases and the concerned Lawyers to agree on the dates and also determine the format for presentation of their arguments during the scheduled Court’s Criminal Session.

Among the notable appeals to be handled is that of former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government John Muhanguzi Kashaka who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 2014 for causing government a financial loss of Shs 4.2Bn.

The money was meant to procure over 70,000 bicycles for LC1 Chairpersons.

There is also the appeal of Former Executive Director National Forestry Authority (NFA) Damien Akankwasa who was in 2015 sentenced to 2yrs imprisonment for Abuse of Office after the IGG proved that in 2008, Akankwasa single handedly disposed of 10,000 Eucalyptus poles at Shs 10,000 instead of the Shs 20,000 which was the set price in Mwenge plantation at the time.

He already completed his sentence.

Akankwasa’s troubles started in 2009 when he accused his wife Juliet Katusiime of stealing Shs 900M from their matrimonial home at Naguru in Kampala.

The other appeal is of former Director of Parliament Budget Office – Samuel Wanyaka Huxley who was in 2015 jailed 10 years for embezzlement of Shs 822M in 2014 before making fictitious and false accountability.

The money was for Service Delivery Surveys in the Country.