Naava charged with fraud
Aug 06, 2006
FORMER presidential assistant on legal affairs Catherine Naava Nabagesera was yesterday arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
By Hillary Kiirya
FORMER presidential assistant on legal affairs Catherine Naava Nabagesera was yesterday arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
Naava was accused of obtaining sh29.8m, while her co-accused Moses Nsubuga Ssempebwa, who was not present in court, was accused of fleecing several individuals of sh15.9m.
Nsubuga was issued with criminal summons to appear in court on August 11 to answer the charges.
Dressed in a kitenge, Naava, who looked composed at the beginning, later broke down and wept as the presiding Buganda Road Court grade I magistrate, Olive Kazarwe, read to her the 20 counts.
She later calmed down when her lawyer was making the bail application.
Naava and Ssempebwa are accused of fleecing Ugandans on the pretext that they would facilitate their travel to the United Kingdom for jobs.
Prosecution said Nabegesera tricked several people, saying she would process their passports, visas and travel arrangements to their work places in the UK.
Naava appeared at court in the company of Mugisha Mondo, relatives and sympathisers.
She was represented by John Matovu and Norris Maranga, while the prosecution was led by Patricia Cingitho.
She pleaded not guilty to the 20 counts and was released on a non-cash bond of sh5m. Mondo stood in as her surety in a fully packed courtroom. After the court session, Naava was seen talking to her lawyers.
Before becoming presidential aide, Naava served as a resident district commissioner in Bugiri, Jinja and Kayunga.
She attempted to contest for the Kampala City mayorship twice but stood down in favour of other movement candidates.
She also once contested against Margaret Zziwa for Kampala Woman MP but lost, went to court and lost the case with costs.
Naava, a former wife to Kampala mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, was with the mayor when he was arrested in the USA for bank fraud.
FORMER presidential assistant on legal affairs Catherine Naava Nabagesera was yesterday arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretences.
Naava was accused of obtaining sh29.8m, while her co-accused Moses Nsubuga Ssempebwa, who was not present in court, was accused of fleecing several individuals of sh15.9m.
Nsubuga was issued with criminal summons to appear in court on August 11 to answer the charges.
Dressed in a kitenge, Naava, who looked composed at the beginning, later broke down and wept as the presiding Buganda Road Court grade I magistrate, Olive Kazarwe, read to her the 20 counts.
She later calmed down when her lawyer was making the bail application.
Naava and Ssempebwa are accused of fleecing Ugandans on the pretext that they would facilitate their travel to the United Kingdom for jobs.
Prosecution said Nabegesera tricked several people, saying she would process their passports, visas and travel arrangements to their work places in the UK.
Naava appeared at court in the company of Mugisha Mondo, relatives and sympathisers.
She was represented by John Matovu and Norris Maranga, while the prosecution was led by Patricia Cingitho.
She pleaded not guilty to the 20 counts and was released on a non-cash bond of sh5m. Mondo stood in as her surety in a fully packed courtroom. After the court session, Naava was seen talking to her lawyers.
Before becoming presidential aide, Naava served as a resident district commissioner in Bugiri, Jinja and Kayunga.
She attempted to contest for the Kampala City mayorship twice but stood down in favour of other movement candidates.
She also once contested against Margaret Zziwa for Kampala Woman MP but lost, went to court and lost the case with costs.
Naava, a former wife to Kampala mayor Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, was with the mayor when he was arrested in the USA for bank fraud.