KAMPALA – Businessman Abid Alam has on Monday, May 4 been granted bail having fulfilled bail conditions.
His co-accused; detective superintendent of police Wilber Osteen Wanyama, ASP Peter Muhanuzi Baitara, ASP Daniel Robert Ogwellan and seargent Wilson Azale are still on remand in Kitalya prison.
On April 24, the businessman’s lawyers appeared before the court to have the bail application heard through zoom technology connected to a laptop in Kitalya prison where the suspect is remanded.
However, Buganda Road Court Grade one Magistrate Ketty Joan dismissed the Abim’s bail application on grounds that she has no legal base to grant a bail through zoom technology.
Appearing for the second time before court, Alam’s legal team led by Fred Muwema argued that the suspect is a senior citizen of Uganda, a businessman with more than 15 companies operating under the Alam Group, and is the honorary consul of Indonesia in Uganda, with no criminal record.
The presiding magistrate Joan Ketty Acaa granted him a cash bail of Shs3 million, while each of his three sureties including businessmen Gordon Wavamuno, Kaddu Kiberu and Dr Rajan Taylor were granted a non-cash bond of Shs100 million.
Abim, who sought bail citing his ill health was arrested by the State House Anti-corruption Unit and remanded to Kitalya government prison on charges of conspiring with four police officers to defeat the course of justice by unlawfully releasing confidential information regarding a case file in which he was a prime suspect.
The arrest followed reports that his agents had been involved in a number of atrocities and unlawful destruction of property in Bukoba, Kasanda district, where they were bickering with alleged squatters.
The prosecution alleges that on April 8, 2020, between Mityana Regional Police Office and Ntinda in Kampala District the officers conspired with Abid Alam to defeat the course of justice by unlawfully releasing to him confidential information regarding a case file against him yet he was the prime suspect.
