The former Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross Society Richard Michael Nataka has regained temporary freedom after the Anti-corruption court released him on cash bail on May 8.
Nataka, who spent the night of May 7 in Luzira, is being charged with two counts of abuse of office, after allegedly evading taxes when he shipped in a luxurious SUV, a Toyota Tundra in 2013, claiming it belonged to the URCS.
The said vehicle allegedly belonged to an individual, and subsequent investigations by URA and other prosecuting agencies landed the former URCS boss into the mess that has culminated in him forfeiting Shs15 as bail.
His sureties; his paternal uncle, Paliisa Resident District Commissioner (RDC) John Nabende, Mr Moses Kigayi, another RDC(Manafwa); Mr James Mayoca, a Principal Economist with the Ministry of Education and businesswoman Stella Watenyeli, were all ordered to execute a non-cash bond of Shs100m each by Grade One Magistrate Agnes Alum.
Earlier, state prosecutor Harriet Angom had opposed Nataka’s bail application, arguing that Nataka the suspect was likely to flee, given that there are three new charges being preferred against him by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions..
But the magistrate dismissed the prosecutor’s arguments on grounds that charges were not sustainable at the point in time because the files have not yet been sanctioned.
Hearing resumes June 24.
