Court freezes university bank accounts
May 31, 2010
GULU High Court assistant registrar Taddeo Asiimwe on Friday ordered the freezing of five Gulu University bank accounts at Centenary and Stanbic banks.
By Gillian Lamunu
GULU High Court assistant registrar Taddeo Asiimwe on Friday ordered the freezing of five Gulu University bank accounts at Centenary and Stanbic banks.
The order followed the university’s failure to pay sh310m to nine former lecturers, who were sacked in 2007.
The court extended the freeze to June 11 in the presence of the lecturers’ lawyer, Caleb Alaka, Centenary Bank manager Baden Paul Obote, Gulu University lawyer Jude Otim Atyam and the lecturers.
Atyam argued that the lawyer had exaggerated the figures. He claimed the university paid the lecturers sh93m, following the November 30, 2008 court ruling.
He then asked the court to allow him meet with the claimants and agree on the right amount to be paid.
Alaka, however, said the sh310m the court asked for is a collection of the lecturers’ arrears that includes gratuity, national social security fund, cost of the suit plus interest at court rate.
He added that the sh93m the university paid the lecturers was salaries for the period between April 2007, when they were dismissed, and April 30 2008 when the judgement was passed.
“Our calculation came to over sh300m that Gulu University did not pay for three years. When we carried out the calculations, we thought the university had paid the lecturers.
“Each of them was given sh5m, but that was only the basic salary. It did not include arrears and other costs,†Alaka said.
When contacted, the university’s vice-chancellor professor, Jack Nyeko Penmogi, declined to comment, saying he was not aware of the court case.
GULU High Court assistant registrar Taddeo Asiimwe on Friday ordered the freezing of five Gulu University bank accounts at Centenary and Stanbic banks.
The order followed the university’s failure to pay sh310m to nine former lecturers, who were sacked in 2007.
The court extended the freeze to June 11 in the presence of the lecturers’ lawyer, Caleb Alaka, Centenary Bank manager Baden Paul Obote, Gulu University lawyer Jude Otim Atyam and the lecturers.
Atyam argued that the lawyer had exaggerated the figures. He claimed the university paid the lecturers sh93m, following the November 30, 2008 court ruling.
He then asked the court to allow him meet with the claimants and agree on the right amount to be paid.
Alaka, however, said the sh310m the court asked for is a collection of the lecturers’ arrears that includes gratuity, national social security fund, cost of the suit plus interest at court rate.
He added that the sh93m the university paid the lecturers was salaries for the period between April 2007, when they were dismissed, and April 30 2008 when the judgement was passed.
“Our calculation came to over sh300m that Gulu University did not pay for three years. When we carried out the calculations, we thought the university had paid the lecturers.
“Each of them was given sh5m, but that was only the basic salary. It did not include arrears and other costs,†Alaka said.
When contacted, the university’s vice-chancellor professor, Jack Nyeko Penmogi, declined to comment, saying he was not aware of the court case.