Ex-NSSF boss charged over sh8b botched deal

Feb 14, 2014

The former NSSF board chairman, Geoffrey Onegi- Obel, has been charged with abuse of office over sh8b.

By Vision   Reporter     

The former NSSF board chairman, Geoffrey Onegi- Obel, has been charged with abuse of office over sh8b.


Onegi- Obel was   Friday charged before Anti-Corruption  Court   Chief Magistrate Sarah Langa Siu and remanded to Luzira prison. He denied the charges.

After  pleading  not guilty  to  charges of   abuse  of office and causing  financial  loss, Sydney  Asubo, the  director of  legal affairs   from  Inspectorate   of  Government committed   Onegi-  Obel  to  face  trial  in  High Court  Anti-Corruption  division.

Chief  magistrate  Langa explained  that  after  committal, her  court does  not  have  the  mandate to  grant bail
The magistrate advised Onegi- Obel to exercise his rights and apply for bail in the Anti-Corruption   High Court division.

Francis Gimara, Onegi-Obel’s lawyer   asked court to re-instate his bail terms   of 2010 when he first appeared in court.
Gimara  asked  court  to abide by  the precedent  set by   Sam Kutesa  and   two others in CHOGM  case  where  bail is  not cancelled  upon  committing  an accused  to the High Court.

Asubo  opposed  the application saying   Onegi- Obel   was  being  charged afresh though the particulars of the offence are the same  and  that  he should  file  a file bail  application.

Onegi-Obel   who  is accused  of  causing loss of  money in the  botched  $225 Nsimbe   Housing  Estate deal  and abuse of office , petitioned  the  Constitutional  Court  in 2011 challenging  his prosecution  by  the Inspectorate  of  Government.

The charges against Onegi-Obel were instituted in 2010. The IGG said  he committed   the offences between 2004 and  2005.The funds the IGG said were  pilfered  during  transactions in  which NSSF, through  a company  called  Premier, entered a  joint venture with Mugoya, Estates Ltd a  private business company. The venture involved   a plan to construct 5000 housing units by Nsimbe Holdings Ltd.

 

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