Former MP in trouble over fake documents
Jun 22, 2018
In 2016, Ntabazi was appointed state minister for trade and industry, but was rejected by the Appointments Committee of Parliament over inconsistencies in her birth dates.
PIC: Ntabazi during campaigns in 2016. She lost the elections
Former Bundibugyo woman Member of Parliament Harriet Ntabazi has been charged with three counts of uttering fake academic papers.
On Friday, Ntabazi, 42, was produced before Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate Esther Nahirya who read out the charges to her.
However, Ntabazi who appeared crestfallen in box denied the charges.
Inspectorate of Government (IG) prosecutor Wilberforce Mutebule told court that investigations in the matter are complete and asked court to set the hearing dates.
"Your worship, Investigations in the matter are almost complete. We pray for hearing dates to be set," Mutebule said.
Immediately, Ntabazi through her lawyers led by Joseph Anguliya applied for bail on grounds that the offences against her are bailable.
The Magistrate released Ntabazi on a cash bail of sh5m while her sureties who included her brother Dr Swizen Kyomuhendo were each bonded at sh20m not cash.
The Magistrate ordered Ntabazi to deposit her passport in court on top of reporting to court twice a month until the final disposal of her case.
Prosecution alleges that between December 2015 and October 2016, Ntabazi knowingly uttered a false UACE certificate to the Electoral Commission and an investigator from the Inspectorate of Government purporting to have been issued by Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) whereas not.
Ntabazi is also accused of giving false information to an investigator in the office of the Inspectorate of Government.
Court documents indicate that on October 21, 2016, she fraudulently uttered certificate number A0556422 to Phoebe Tibiwa, an investigator in the office of the Inspectorate of Government.
It further indicates that on December 2, 2015, Ntabazi fraudulently uttered the said certificate to Electoral Commission for her nomination to contest for Bundibugyo Woman MP race in 2016, which she lost.
Rejected minister
In 2016, Ntabazi was appointed state minister for trade and industry, but was rejected by Appointments Committee of Parliament over inconsistencies in her birthdates.
Her curriculum vitae indicate that she was born in 1974, but her statutory papers and an affidavit she swore indicate that she was born in 1979. While her academic documents indicate that she was born in 1973.
The arrest
According to Ntabazi's lawyer Humphrey Mweisgye, IG investigators summoned her at their office on Friday morning claiming that they wanted her to clarify on some issues, but they instead produced her in court.