INVESTIGATIONS
A group of lawyers, court brokers, and officials from the Judiciary has reportedly shared amongst themselves the Shs1.6 billion meant for former employees of the defunct Uganda Electricity Board (UEB), this publication has learnt.
The money in question was released on March 3, this year, to the account of one of the claimants, Horace Patrick Kitongo, in Stanbic Bank, Number: 9030001233210. The development followed a January 18, 2024, Court Order where the Judiciary was directed to pay back Shs1,687,471,042, the security for costs that arose from a tax matter where the former employees of UEB challenged the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)’s unfair taxation of their terminal benefits.
The Court ruled that: “Let the sum of UGX 1,681,471,042 (Uganda Shillings One Billion Six Hundred Eighty-One Million Four Hundred Seventy-One Thousand and Forty-Two) only that was deposited with the Court on 26th July 2006 as security for costs under General Receipt No. Y0266225, be refunded to the Applicants/Claimants…,”
Payments of these funds were processed by lawyers from Stoneridge & Co Advocates, a law firm located on Plot 4, Pilkington Road, Colline House, Old Tower, 3rd Floor, Kampala.
Upon release of the money, it was reportedly shared among various individuals, including Kitongo, Andrew Muhwezi, Julius Beyanga, and Moses.
The law firm confirmed processing the payment and its release, but distanced itself from the sharing spree with officials, noting that they only offered legal services.
“Right now, I am in Nakasongola and am not in a comfortable place where I can answer you. I am aware of Kitongo and am aware that he received that money, but I don’t have that file with me here, and I wont tell you the role I played in that file because I don’t have it,” an official said in a phone interview on April 27.
He added, “Secondly, we lawyers represent people, but we never receive the money. I repeat it, Stoneridge [Advocates] never received that money.”
The legal Boss promised to give this publication a detailed interview, but later played hide and seek until the publication of this article.
Kitongo, on whose account the money was deposited, told this publication that he could only comment after getting permission from his lawyers, his phones have been off for the past one month.
On the other hand, Beyanga, one of the people who allegedly got part of this money told this publication to get details from whoever tipped it with the story.
“I have nothing to say because whoever came to you should give you the details that you need. If it’s the claimants, whatever they are alleging and believe that it is you who can help them, then help them, or else they should go through the right channels and get what they want,” he said.
Moses asked the newspaper to share with him the details on who brought the story, while Muhwezi declined to pick up our repeated calls and only responded on WhatsApp, asking this reporter to go ahead and publish the article. He then immediately deleted his comment.
Muhwezi, a husband to the Rukiga District Woman MP, according to the documents, took about a billion shillings, while others shared between Shs100 million and Shs500 million each.
