Nakawa Chief Magistrates’
Court Friday issued a warrant of arrest for Development Channel director
Charles Lambert Nwabuikwu.
Lambert, 44, a Briton of Nigerian descent and his wife, Caroline Waithera Waweru, 30, a Kenyan national, were charged with giving false or misleading information to people in 2018.
If found guilty, the will
either be fined Shs12m or imprisoned for five years or both.
Chief Magistrate Her Worship
Alum Agnes working on prosecution’s request on Friday issued a warrant of
arrest saying Lambert has skipped court twice.
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Lambert was arrested last
year while trying to flee the country and was later released on bail early this
year.
He requested the court to allow him to negotiate with the complainants, whom he had allegedly defrauded.
Prosecution led by Annet
Namatovu alleged that the accused, between October 2017 and November 2018, in
various parts of Uganda, disseminated misleading information to induce members
of the public to buy shares in Development Channel, knowing or having reason to
believe that such information was false.
The suspects are directors of
Development Conglomerate Limited and residents of Luzira in Kampala with the
company’s office at Itiri House on Port Bell Road, Luzira.
The state-run New Vision
reported that the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) under the finance
ministry had written to the state minister for investment, Evelyn Anite, about
the illegal operations of Development Channel.
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In a letter dated September 26, 2018, FIA noted that they had received information through a program dubbed Uganda Poverty Alleviation, which was collecting money from the public while promising them shares.
By floating shares, the
company promised to pay those who bought the dividends of the shares that would
enrich them.
At that time, FIA established that the company could not sell shares to the public without the requisite regulatory authorization.
On March 7, 2018, FIA
received a letter from Capital Markets Authority informing them of the
suspected illegal sale of shares to the public by Development Channel and
requesting the Police to investigate the matter further.
FIA monitored the
transactions and gathered additional intelligence which showed that the company
was receiving big deposits into their mobile money accounts.
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The document also disclosed
that the company had opened two business bank accounts — 0080045603 for Uganda
shillings and 0080045611 for US dollars in Tropical Bank with three
signatories; Lambert, Lawrence Anugwalu and Waweru.
A review of the transaction on Uganda shillings bank account number 0080045603 indicated a high turnover for the newly opened account.
Between February and June
2018, total credit turnover amounted to Shs723, 510,031, mainly consisting of
cash deposits amounting to Shs693,050,00.
Sixty-year-old Badru Mpiima
told Vision that on February 21, 2018, he bought five shares for his two
children at Shs1.7m and he was promised $100 (about Shs370, 000) per month and
one tablet (phone), which he did not get.
The International Crimes Division of the High Court Judge, Alice Komuhangi Kaukha has issued a production warrant ordering Luzira prison authorities to produce without fail 7 people accused of attempting to kill Works Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala by shooting.
This is the second time the 7 suspects are missing in court, the other time being attributed to restrictions due to an Ebola outbreak. The two incidents are said to be delaying the case as per defence lawyer, Geoffrey Turyamusiima.
As court convened on Tuesday to commence pre-trial proceedings to mark and inspect physical exhibits, the 7 suspects battling terrorism, murder, and attempted murder charges were nowhere to be seen, only to abruptly appear on a screen via zoom.
This forced the judge to hold a closed-door meeting with both state prosecutors and the defence lawyer to ascertain the cause of the absentia before explaining that she cannot proceed with the pre-trial as there has been no written consent from the suspects to be tried on zoom.
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She later adjourned the case with one suspect from Kigo prison present in court to February 28, 2023, and signed a production warrant for the remaining 7 suspects from Luzira.
The suspects are facing charges of attempted murder of Gen Katumba Wamala, the murders of his daughter Brenda Nantongo and his bodyguard Sgt Haruna Kayondo on June 1, 2021 in Kisaasi, Nakawa division.
The other charges are in relation to the murders, attempted murders, and aggravated robberies of May 29, 2019, at Cheap General Hardware in Nansana Wakiso, City shoppers supermarket in Mpererwe, and Denevo Barkery in Kalerwe.
A 23-year-old man has been charged and sent on remand at Luzira prison for allegedly defiling a seven-year-old girl, the daughter of his boss.
Moses Ojilong, a houseKeeper in Kololo, Kampala appeared before City Hall Court grade one Magistrate Jane Tibagonzeka who did not allow him to plead to the capital offense which attracts a maximum penalty of death upon conviction.
Prosecution led by Timothy Aduti says the accused committed the offence on January 22, 2023, at Kololo Hill Drive plot 30 in Kampala.
He is expected to return to court on February 17, 2023, for mention of the matter.
Queen Kaftah, an 18-year-old student of Trinity College Nabweru charged with aggravated torture and causing grievous harm to her juvenile friend over a lover has been sentenced to serve three years in prison.
Queen Kaftah has been sentenced by Kira Court Chief Magistrate, Roselyn Nsenge after she pleaded guilty to the offence.
The magistrate ruled that the sentence of 3 years is to serve as a lesson to the convict and to deter other would-be offenders from committing the same offence.
Queen Kaftah is one of the girls seen in a viral video flogging and undressing a 15-year-old friend whom she accused of being in love with her boyfriend Derrick Lwanga.
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The jailed Tanzania student turned herself into the authorities after police made an appeal to the public to disclose the identities of the girls in the videos.
The prosecution says Kaftah Committed the offense on January 8, 2023, at Nsasa zone in Kira municipality.