Judgment on businessman Kashoma case delayed

By Norah Chandiru                         

KAMPALA - A court decision on a case in which city businessman, Justus Kashoma is accused of attempting to withdraw about sh815m by fraudulent means from Stanbic Bank, is still pending.

Buganda road Chief Magistrate, Eleanor Khainza last month – September – had fixed the judgment for October 30.

This was after giving the defense two weeks to respond to the submissions forwarded in Kashoma’s case.

But Khainza, who is the trial magistrate, was indisposed due to sickness, which prompted Grade One Magistrate Kagoro Araali to adjourn the case to November 20 for judgment.

Kashoma was charged together with five people, but the five were acquitted last year after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Richard Butera dropped charges against them.

 The five were: Private David Muhumuza; a driver of Rujumbura MP Jim Muhwezi, Capt. Muzamiru Wakulira and three Stanbic Bank employees – Sam Wanamama, Sharifa Kyamanywa and Barry Zizinga.

 Prosecution alleges that on September 25, 2008 while at the Stanbic Bank Executive Branch at Garden City in Kampala, Kashoma attempted to withdraw about sh815m in cash.

The argument has always stood that Kashoma used wrong procedure in trying to withdraw the money.

Freda Nakintu, an official from the bank in 2010 told court that the accused businessman’s transaction was illegal because it indicated that the money was coming from the bank’s Kampala branch, which she claimed, does not directly deal with cash.