Former employees of Crown Converters ordered to explain sh1.6b loss

Court has ordered former employees of Crown Converters limited accused of embezzling sh1.6b from the company, to start their defence.

Justice Margaret Tibulya of the Anti- Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala yesterday ordered Patel Aniket, Taylor Alplesh, Patel Laxmikant and Dave Shailesh to start their defence on April4.

The order came after court ruled that all the accused have a case to answer and should defend themselves against the accusation.

Crown Converters Limited is one of the leading suppliers of stationery across the country.

Prosecution said the accused supplied goods from Crown Converters to different customers across the country and allegedly deposited the money on their accounts.

Prosecution led by senior state attorney Barbara Kawuma said Aniket, Laximiknat, Aplesh and Shailesh allegedly conspired between June 2005 and December 2009 at Crown Converters offices in Kampala to steal from the company.

They are charged with embezzlement, forgery, and uttering false document. They denied the charges.

Prosecution said  that the fraud was unearthed by one of the managers Go Pal Patel, that money meant for Crown Converters Ltd was illegally transferred from  Bank of Baroda in Kampala  to  private  accounts of the accused.

It is further alleged that police inquiries revealed that a number of resolutions binding the company (Crown Converters) had been changed without the knowledge of other directors.

Prosecution said a separate police investigations also established that the accused stole1.676,445,058. The case was adjourned to April4 for defence hearing.