Annah Asiimwe, a 30-year-old resident of Kakoba in Mbarara city, found herself in legal trouble as she appeared before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mbarara city. Charged with nine counts, including obtaining money by false pretense, forgery, and uttering false documents, Asiimwe faced Chief Magistrate Andrew Kabombo for the mention of her case.
According to the charge sheet, Asiimwe is accused of defrauding Zuwa Jordan Ssendegeya of a staggering 1.5 billion shillings between 2020 and 2022. The alleged deception involved false promises of transferring properties belonging to the late Emeritus Paul K. Bakyenga, the Archbishop of Mbarara Archdiocese, to Ssendegeya’s name.
The prosecution claims that Asiimwe, posing as Bakyenga’s daughter, forged share certificates and other documents related to valuable assets, including shares in reputable entities like the World Bank and MTN, as well as ownership of petrol stations and shares in Ford Motors.
In one instance detailed in the charge sheet, Asiimwe is accused of fabricating a letter of security confirmation purportedly issued by the World Bank Country Manager, Mukami Kariuki, to lend credibility to her fraudulent scheme.
Furthermore, Asiimwe allegedly presented false documents, claiming they were issued by the World Bank, and even forged a letter of approval of activity review, purportedly issued by Archbishop Paul Ssemwogerere of the Kampala Archdiocese.
During her appearance before the court, Asiimwe pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, the prosecution revealed that investigations were ongoing, and some accomplices were still at large, leading to the denial of her bail application due to incomplete documentation.
Chief Magistrate Kabombo subsequently ordered Asiimwe’s remand to Mbarara Main Women’s Prison until July 9, 2024, pending the determination of her bail application. Natasha Mariam, spokesperson for the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, confirmed that the investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by Ssendegeya.
Mariam emphasized that Asiimwe misrepresented herself as Bakyenga’s daughter, exploiting the latter’s illness to orchestrate the fraudulent transactions. She also revealed that Asiimwe’s alleged ill-gotten gains, including 42 plots of land in Mbarara, have been frozen pending further legal proceedings.
