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The defence hearing in the case involving former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) engineer, Umar Katongole, facing charges of illicit enrichment and money laundering totalling shillings 6.2 billion, has been deferred due to his lawyer's lack of a valid practicing certificate. 

Katongole is accused alongside his wife, Hawa Sengendo, a community development officer at Luwero district local government. 

The defence hearing could not start on April 8, 2024, because Aggrey Bwire, the lawyer representing the accused, said his practicing certificate was expired. 

He asked the court to defer the case to another date to enable him to embark on the process of renewing the certificate. It is a mandatory requirement for an advocate of the High Court to have a certificate to practice law in Uganda. 

The Nakasero-based Anti-Corruption Court presided over by Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga granted the application and deferred the case to May 7 and 10, 2024, for Katongole and Sengendo to start their defence.

On December 6, 2023, the Nakasero-based Anti-Corruption Court presided over by Justice Kajuga, ruled that Katongole and Sengendo have a case to answer regarding the charges. However, since then, Katongole and Sengendo have not defended themselves.

The accused persons have chosen to present their defence through an unsworn testimony, indicating their intention to provide evidence without subjecting themselves to cross-examination by the prosecution. They further indicated to the court that they would call witnesses to support their case.

In her ruling in December 2023, Justice Kajuga stated that the accused persons have a case to answer on all counts of illicit enrichment and money laundering. She noted that the prosecution had sufficiently demonstrated the need for the accused to explain their actions.

“I find, therefore, that the prosecution has led evidence in support of the elements of the offence of illicit enrichment, sufficient to warrant an explanation from Katongole,” Justice Kajuga ruled.

Prosecution’s case

The prosecution, led by the Inspectorate of Government's (IGG) head of prosecution, Brenda Kimbugwe, alongside senior Inspectorate officer Sylvia Nabirye, contend that Katongole deliberately obscured the origins of his assets situated on Block 180, specifically plots 1395, 1782, and 877 within Wakiso district.

It is further alleged that Katongole transferred the land to Darkins Uganda, deliberately concealing the properties’ illegal origin.

The prosecution also claimed that Sengendo concealed the transfer of another piece of land on Block 26, plots 280, 281, and 282 at Mengo to Darkins Uganda, a company linked to Katongole.

Katongole and Sengendo allegedly deposited shillings of 2.8 billion in Tropical Bank Limited between April 2011 and August 2015, concealing its source, although the prosecution said they were aware that the money was obtained illegally.

To disguise the money’s source, the prosecution said Katongole transferred money from their joint account with Sengendo at Tropical Bank to Sengendo’s account number 0100017148 in Tropical Bank.

About a charge of money laundering against Sengendo, It is alleged that Sengendo deposited shillings 466 million in her accounts yet she knew that the money was the proceeds of a crime. They denied the charges and they are out on bail.