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A judge has warned that the Anti-Corruption Court will not hesitate to issue a warrant of arrest for two prosecution witnesses in a case where a former employee of Western Cable Company Ltd is accused of stealing shillings 3.7 billion from it.

Juliet Namuli Asiya is facing the charges alongside Robert Kimbowa and Joanita Nakatudde, before Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga at the Nakasero-based Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala.

Justice Kajuga on April 30, 2024, while extending summonses for Mary Nafuma and Justine Mukinda to appear in court on June 11 and June 25, 2024, and give evidence, said she would not hesitate to order the arrest of the witnesses if they fail to honour court’s summons again.

“I am extending summons for the two witnesses to appear in court; if they don’t appear, the court will not hesitate to issue a warrant of arrest,” Kajuga said.

Kajuga made the threat after chief state attorney Abigail Agaba told the court that Nafuma and Mukinda had failed to honour the court’s summons. 

She presented to the court an affidavit sworn by Police Officer Anthony Wafula indicating that the witnesses were not willing to appear in court.

Speaking on behalf of Nafuma, the mother of Namuli, lawyer Derrick Bazekuketta, said she travelled and she will appear in court to testify later.

However, Justice Okuo gave the witnesses another chance to appear in court on June 11 and June 25.

The prosecution, led by chief state attorneys Agaba and Gloria Inzikuru at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), had asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest because the witnesses were deliberately refusing to testify.

Prosecution’s case

It is alleged that between January 2012 and December 31, 2016, while Namuli was employed as an accountant at Western Cable Company Ltd, she stole shillings worth 1.7 billion, which she had access to by her employment.

In the second count, it is alleged that between January 2014 and December 2016 Western Cable Company Ltd at Industrial Area in Kampala, Namuli stole shillings 1.3 billion.

The prosecution alleges that Namuli and Kimbowa, in August 2015 and December 2016, at the Western Cable Company Ltd offices on Sixth Street Industrial Area and DFCU Bank in Kampala, stole yet another shillings 751 million from the company.

Namuli and Kimbowa are also facing charges of money laundering, contrary to sections 3(c) 116 and 136(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

According to the prosecution, the duo and others still at large from December 1, 2013, to December 31, 2016, laundered shillings 1.7 billion shillings, yet they knew that it was stolen money.

It is further alleged that Namuli and Kimbowa laundered other shillings of 751 million in DFCU Bank through account number 01443553554618 in the name of Westerner Cables Uganda Ltd.

The prosecution said the accused knew that at the time they received the money, it was proceeds of a crime, from a check that Namuli allegedly stole from Western Cable Company Ltd.

A prosecution led by Abigail Agaba at the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said Namuli and Kimbowa conspired to steal funds from Western Cable Company Ltd.

It is alleged that Nakatudde, on May 30, 2018, at Letshego offices in Kampala, used land comprised in Busiro Block 459 Plot 547, land at Katale in Wakiso district, as security and borrowed shillings 30 million, yet she knew that at the time of acquiring the property, it was proceeds of crime.

The prosecution said she later sold and transferred the property comprised in Block 459, Plot 547, at Katale to Violet Tusiime. The accused denied the charges and are out on bail.

Western Cable Company Ltd. manufactures cables for domestic use and industrial lighting.