Take petition against Bagyenda, Kasekende to Police, State House-says Judiciary

High Court has directed a private citizen who filed a petition against three former top officials of the Bank of Uganda to take his petition to either the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), State House’s Anti-Corruption Unit or the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Justice Lawrence Gidudu, the Head of the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, wrote to Mr Kakuru Sam Brian, acknowledging receipt of his petition against former deputy Governor Louis Kasekende, Ms Justine Bagyenda, the former director of commercial banks supervision at BoU, and Mr Benedict Sekabira, the Director for Financial Markets Development Coordination (FMDC) at BoU.

The petition demanded that action be taken against the three officials over their role in the irregular closure of Crane Bank-which was Uganda’s biggest commercial bank then.
In his letter, Justice Gidudu indicated that the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court is a court of criminal cases that does not receive petitions but receives charge sheets and indictments preferred by the DPP or IGG for prosecution.

“Our advice is for you to deliver your petition and supporting documents to either of the following officers which may be convenient for you. The Anti-Corruption Unit of State House, The IGG, The DPP and the directorate of CIID. Perhaps, I should add that you could serve the petition to more than one of the above institutions, should you feel able to do so,” Justice Gidudu wrote in his response.

Justice Gidudu added that the Anti-Corruption Court is a neutral forum for adjudicating corruption and corruption-related cases.