Court clerk faces life imprisonment over sh1.6b theft

CRIME   COURT

KAMPALA - A 31-year-old court clerk who forged court orders and allegedly stole over sh1.6b from Bank of Uganda (BOU) could face life imprisonment.

Jude Sseruwu, a court mediator at the Commercial Division of the High Court in Kampala has confessed to having forged and uttered false documents of the said court but denied theft of over sh1.6b from BOU.

Sseruwu, also a businessman is a resident of Kitende ‘A' Cell, Kajjansi in Wakiso district.

He was on Friday arraigned before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates' Court in Kampala and charged with seven counts of theft, forgery and uttering false documents.

Chief Magistrate, Miriam Ayo Akello presided over the court and the charges read to him contravene sections 254 (1), 261, 342, 345 (a), 347, 348 and 351 of the Penal Code Act.

Having listened to the charges, the accused denied theft charges but pleaded guilty to forgery and uttering false documents.

"This court has written that you have denied theft charges, I, however, convict you on your plea of guilty on charges of forgery and uttering false documents," Akello said as she adjourned the case to July 28, 2020.

Prosecution led by Miriam Njuki informed the court that investigations were complete.

The law

Under the law, anyone who forges a judicial record, power of attorney, banknote, currency note, bill of exchange, promissory note or another negotiable instrument, policy of insurance, cheque or other authority for the payment of money by a person carrying on business as a banker is liable to life imprisonment, on conviction.

The charge

Prosecution purports that on June 24, 2020, at Eco Bank, Rwenzori branch in Kampala district, Sseruwu and others still at large stole over sh1.6b from BOU, the property of the High Court.

On forgery charges that Sseruwu pleaded guilty to, prosecution said that on June 4, this year, the convict and others still at large, at an unknown place in Kampala, forged a judicial recorded document (a court order) to wit HCT-00-CC-NO.08 of 2006, arising from Tax Appeals Tribunal at Kampala, application number TAT 9 of 2005, purporting to have been issued by the High Court Commercial Division and signed by Dr Agnes Nkonge, the deputy registrar of the same court, whereas not.

That on June 12, knowingly and with reason to believe, the convict uttered a false judicial court order to wit HCT-00-CC-NO.08 of 2006, arising from Tax Appeals Tribunal at Kampala, application number TAT 9 of 2005 to the High Court of Uganda in Kampala.