City lawyer Andrew Kasirye of Kasirye Byaruhanga advocates today quietly went to Criminal Investigations Directorate where he recorded a statement with operatives in relation to shs 1.6bn dubious compensation from the judiciary.
According to a source, Kasirye who appeared alongside Paul Luticua were grilled for several hours by D/ASP Opendi who recorded their statements.
After hours of intense grilling, the two were later released on police bond.
A source says their file will be sent to DPP for perusal and advice when investigation are done.
This follows after the Secretary to the Judiciary Pius Bugirimana invited the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate to inquire into payments totalling to UGX 1.6 billion in alleged refund of security deposits by litigants, suspiciously passed through accounts of a private company.
In a letter to CID Director Grace Akullo, Mr. Bigirimana asked the CID to validate the source of the requisition for the said money in regard to the Commercial Court case of Kasekende Mujuzi & Others Vs Uganda Revenue Authority; and also wants investigators to probe a USD 48,294.26 payment to law firm M/s Kasirye, Byaruhanga and Company Advocates in the case of Entebbe Handling Services Vs Uganda Fish Packers Ltd.
As a result, the CID asked three senior court officials to help the police with investigations in regard to the payments for requests made for refund of security deposits by litigants.
The three are Chief Registrar Tom Chemutai and registrars Mary Ikit and Dr. Agnes Nkonge.
In a July 10, 2020 letter to Mr. Bigirimana, the Director for Police’s Criminal Investigations, Ms Grace Akullo indicates that the investigators want to find out the source of the transfer of over 1.6 billion from the judiciary accounts to M/s Heed Debt Recovery Service Ltd in Eco Bank.
Ms Akullo said that the money was transferred by Bank of Uganda to the said account and by the time the fraud was detected, the suspects had already withdrawn UGX. 200 million.
Earlier, Mr. Bigirimana had written Ms Akullo asking the CID to investigate the two payments to establish whether they were fraudulently requisitioned or are genuine saying he had been alerted by the Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Keith Muhakanizi about the a possible fraudulent payments, the Judiciary PS indicated that the transaction was carried out on on recommendation of Registrar of the Commercial Court, Dr. Agnes Nkonge who issued a court order directing the payment on June 4, 2020.
Mr.Bigirimana explained that the payment was again originated by a court order signed by Dr Nkonge and the requisition was originally made by His Worship Tom Chemutai (Acting Chief Registrar) and later by Ms Ikit on January 16 2020.