Basajjabalaba bailed out

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Friday, 18 January 2013 14:34

Written by Edgar Angumya

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City businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba has been granted cash bail of Shs 60m by Chief Magistrate Irene Akankwasa.

Bassajjabalaba, who had appeared at the Anti-Corruption Court to apply for bail for the second time running, was also asked to deposit his passport with the Court registry, and his five sureties were each bonded for Shs 4bn each (not cash).

This is the highest amount of money sureties have ever been bonded, and it could be converted to cash if Bassajjabalaba jumps bail.

Akankwasa granted Bassajjabalaba bail since the state had never personally served him with summons. Bassjjabalaba returns t court on January 28, 2013.

Prosecution alleges that Basajjabalaba, 45, also chairman of the Board of Trustees of Haba Group (U) Limited, conspired with his young brother Muzamiru, 43, to evade taxes  amounting to Shs 20.1bn arising from a compensation payment by the government to Haba. They allegedly committed the offence between 2010 and 2011 in Kampala district.

Haba was compensated Shs 142bn after its purchase of  Nakasero, Shauriyaako and St Balikuddembe markets and the Constitution Square was cancelled. Bassajjabala is also accused of forging a consent judgment, on October 6, 2010.

The judgment was purportedly entered into by Haba, as a plaintiff, and the Attorney General as the defendant agreeing that the latter’s payments to the former of the said Shs 142bn would not be subject to any levies, whereas the award was subject to the tax laws.

Prosecution further alleges in the third count that in 2011, in the case of Haba versus the Commissioner of Uganda Revenue Authority that was filed in the Kampala High court, Basajjabalaba fraudulently uttered the said consent judgment, purporting to have been entered into between Haba and the Attorney General.