DPP drops property attachment case against Obey's children

State prosecutor Josephine Namatovu has told court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DDP), Mike Chibita, has dropped a property attachment case against the former Public Service Principal Accountant, Christopher Obey's four children.

"We have decided to discontinue proceedings against the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respondents. They are minors and the properties registered in their names, belong to their father," she told court.

The children include Joel Obey Katokwa, Joshua Mugabi, Mellen Atwine and Michelle Ninsiima.

Chibita has also discontinued the proceedings against Florence Achieng whom he had alleged to be a wife to Oloka Japians the former Accounts Assistant at the East African Community Beneficiaries Association (EACOBA), an allegation Japians vehemently denied before court.

"I only have one wife; she is called Jennifer Oloka Japians. I have known her by those names since our primary school days," he said.

Namatovu while appearing before Justice Lawrence Gidudu of the Anti-Corruption Court, yesterday, asked court to expunge all the accounts belonging to Achieng from the court records.

In January this year, the DPP filed an application seeking to attach properties belonging to Obey, Japians, Peter Ssajjabi is the former secretary of EACOBA and 17 others including their family members until the ongoing investigations into the fraud are cleared.

The trio is currently being investigated on several allegations of conspiracy, theft, embezzlement and loss of public funds amounting to sh200b. They are also being investigated on allegations of illicit enrichment.

Last year, Japians pleaded guilty to embezzling over sh360m and through a plea bargaining session at the anti-corruption court, refunded sh391m to the government.

Others whose properties Chibita wanted attached are Obey's wife Charity Asiimwe and their four biological children, katokwa, Mugabi, Atwine and Ninsiima.

Properties belonging to Achieng were also listed for attachment since she has a joint ownership with Japians on several of them.

The remaining eleven respondents are companies owned by Oloka, Obey, Sajjabi and their families.

They include, Mellen Ranchers, Ugafin Forex Bureau, Lamba enterprises, Apilla engineering company, Doj and Joj enterprises, continental finance international services, Kagera international ltd, Pach international, leads insurance company, Swift commercial company and St. Josephs' College Mpigi.

According to the court documents, Obey and Japians jointly own Ugafin Forex Bureau, with Obey having 60% shares while Japians owns 40%. They own St. John's College at rate of 51% shares for Obey and 49% shares for Japians.

The duo also has shares in leads insurance. Obey has 45% shares, Japians 25% and the rest are owned by Moses Mubiru, Francis Onyango and Apollo Turyamusiima. They have shares in Continental finance international services at rate of 40% for Obey and 30% for Japians

Obey and his family jointly owns Lamba enterprises where he has 80% shares and his niece Allen Kiconco 20%, Pach International in which he owns 60%, Charity 20% and a one Pamella Natukunda 20% and Kagera international where he owns 60% while the 40% is owned by a one John Ndyabagye. He also owns Mellen Ranchers.

Japians and his family own DOJ & JOJ enterprises where he holds 60% shares while his other wife Janepher Oloka Japians and children hold the 40%, Apilla engineering company where he holds 50% while his sons Titus Dickens and Philip Oboth Japians hold 25% each.

Ssajjabi, his wife Sarah and son Joel Mukabwe own Swift Commercial Company. Properties such as personal and company vehicles, residential and commercial buildings and plots of land are also to be attached.

Appearing before court, Nsubuga Mubiru, lawyer representing Obey asked for time to be allowed to amend his reply since the DPP had made some changes to the application.

Patrick Alunga, who represented Sajjabi asked for Benson Wathum, the investigative officer who swore an affidavit against the accused to be summoned for cross examination by the defence team.

Gidudu heeded to pleas and ordered that Wathum be produced in court for cross examination and also ordered the respondents to file their replies before April 5.  He adjourned the case for a hearing on April 15.