The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Buganda Magistrates Court has remanded to Luzira prison the president of the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF), Sarah Babirye Kityo on charges of obtaining money by false pretense.
On Monday afternoon Babirye together Zainab Namutebi, a businesswoman and resident in Wakiso District were arraigned before Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha and charged with two counts of obtaining 16 million shillings by false pretense.
The court has heard that Namutebi and Babirye and others still at large in the month of May 2022 at Kampala district obtained 8 million shillings from Sarah Wamala by falsely pretending that she was going to take her son to the United States whereas-not.
The Prosecution contends that during the same time and place, the accused also obtained another 8 million shillings from Grolia Kikomeko Nantambi whom they also defrauded that they would take her to the United States. But the duo has denied the charges against them.
As a result, they have been remanded to Luzira prison until May 17th, 2023 for purposes of hearing their bail application.
The remand has come at the time when Babirye who is the former Youth Member of Parliament representing the Central Region is on a three months’ leave from her office as the Uganda Netball Federation President. This was to allow a special committee instituted by the Minister of Sports and Education Janet Kataaha Museveni to investigate allegations of abuse of office and financial mismanagement.
The directive placed Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso as the interim President of the Federation, which is currently preparing the She Cranes for the Netball World Championships.
The Police has since February 2023 been investigating the Federation over alleged financial mismanagement that stemmed from funds released by the National Council for Sports (NCS) for the 2021 Pent Series in Namibia which Uganda won.
The General Secretary of National Council of Sports (NCS), Dr. Bernard Ogwel has since revealed that the Federation of Netball had defrauded the Ugandan government because the Namibian government had already covered all expenses for the netball delegation, including full board expenses for 17 members during the Pent Series.
He said the Council had paid air tickets worth sh127 million for the She Cranes, which the netball body allegedly failed to acknowledge in their accounts.
But the politician cum sports lady Babirye denied the allegations, saying the Netball body had received only 186 million and had accounted for it in time. She said Ogwel has been repeatedly asking for kickbacks from their federation whenever funds are allocated to the She Cranes.
She cited their trip to South Africa in 2021 for the Male Netball Championship where Ogwel reportedly demanded 40 Million Shillings out of the Shillings 100 million allocated for the championship.
According to Babirye, although the federation’s top leadership agreed not to pay the kickback, the Vice president, Richard Muhumuza, and General Secretary, Amina Mande defied the resolution and paid Dr. Ogwel 30 million Shillings, meant for the player’s allowances.
The Deputy Inspector General of Government Patricia Okiria Achan has since ordered Ogwel to pay 100 Million Shillings to the Uganda Netball Federation.
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