Absa Bank’s Relationship Manager, Sharon Emma Akello, took the stand to provide crucial testimony. Akello testified as prosecution witness number nine, shedding light on the case where former employees and agents of TotalEnergies Limited stand accused of stealing goods worth UGX 32 Billion from the energy company.
The prosecution team, led by Chief State Attorneys Gloria Inzikuru and Abigail Agaba, presented Akello’s testimony, which revolved around her role in retrieving a bank statement related to the ongoing case. Akello informed the court that she had received a court order regarding the UGX 32 Billion case, and with the assistance of the bank’s fraud analyst, Francis Xavier, she retrieved the necessary information from the bank’s system.
The accused former employees and agents facing charges in the case are as follows:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Moses Sebalu | Treasury Officer |
| Belinda Nakasi | Tax Accountant |
| Priscillah Nansikombi | Cashier |
| Lillian Mboizi | Treasury Manager |
| Ritah Mbabazi | Payment Assistant |
| Hemal Kotecha | Contracted Agent |
| Innocent Tugume | Contracted Agent |
| Deogratius Twagirayesu | Contracted Agent |
| Joseph Bbuye | Contracted Agent |
| Evelyn Kaggwa | Contracted Agent |
All the accused individuals have entered pleas of not guilty.
According to Akello’s testimony, after retrieving the bank statement from the system, she transferred the data to a compact disc. Subsequently, she handed this compact disc to a police officer involved in the case. Chief State Attorney Gloria Inzikuru tendered the compact disc as evidence for identification during the proceedings.
The prosecution’s case revolves around the allegation that the accused conspired to steal goods worth 32 Billion Shillings from TotalEnergies Limited between January 2016 and December 2018. The alleged scheme involved the accused employees setting up a fraudulent system that allowed dealers to order fuel and lubricants based on fake credit entries posted to their accounts, a claim vehemently denied by the accused.
The prosecution further alleges that fictitious payments were created, ostensibly executed by Lillian Mboizi, who had exclusive rights to post bank statements into the system. This fraud is said to have occurred across several branches of the company, including Ben Kiwanuka, Kyaliwajjala, Kabuusu, Nakulabye, Luzira, Seeta Highway, Misindye, Mukono-Kawuga, Kwev Auto, and New Oasis service stations. The case continues to unfold as more evidence is presented in the Anti-Corruption Court in Nakasero, Kampala, presided over by Justice Lawrence Gidudu.
