Court extends MP''s warrant of arrest

By Michael Odeng

Buganda Road court has again ordered for the arrest of Busiro South MP, Joseph Balikuddembe, for allegedly issuing false cheques to a businessman, Emmanuel Masesane.

Grade I Magistrate, Simon Zirituusa Kintu, extended Balikuddembe’s arrest warrant after he failed to turn up in court to answer the charges. This is now the fourth time the legislator is defying court orders.

 The MP was summoned to appear before the trial magistrate on April 15, 2014 to take plea on the said charges but he has since never turned up.

He is alleged to have issued six false cheques with a face value of sh610m to businessman Masesane to be withdrawn from Housing Finance Bank, Kikubo Branch.

Prosecution alleges that Balikuddembe on July 31, 2013 at Kikuubo, a Kampala suburb issued cheque No. 00106 of Housing Finance Bank with a face value of 110,000,000 to Masesane to be withdrawn from account Number 0133220200 knowing that there were no sufficient funds on the said account to pay the amount specified on the cheque within the normal course of banking business.

It is further alleged that the legislator in the same period issued five other different cheques of the above mentioned Bank all valued at sh100m each totaling to sh500m to the said Masesane to be withdrawn from the said account number well knowing that there was no money on his account.

The magistrate extended the warrant of arrest to August 15, 2014, when the legislator will be produced to court forcefully to answer his charges.

The legislator also has another case before Buganda Road Court grade one magistrate Araali Muhiirwa Kagoro. In this case he allegedly issued a false cheque of sh11m to Nibya, a money lending company.

Balikuddembe between November and December 2013 at Nibya office at Serena Conference Centre is alleged to have issued a centenary Bank cheque no. 559 for sh11m to Nibya drawn on account No. 3010012270 well knowing there were no sufficient funds in the said account to pay the amount specified on the cheque within the normal course of banking business.