By Ronaldo Kalangi
The Supreme Court in Kampala on Tuesday granted bail to jail bird former NSSF managing director, David Chandi Jamwa.
Jamwa was however ordered to deposit Shs10 million cash in court and each of his five sureties Shs 500 million non-cash before he could partially secure his freedom.
He was granted bail pending hearing of his main application against the Court of Appeal decision to uphold his 12-year jail sentence for embezzling billions of workers’ money while at the helm of NSSF as its director.
While releasing Jamwa who has spent about four months in jail, Justice Stella Arach-Amoko said he had satisfied all the bail conditions for a convict to be released on bail pending hearing of appeal.
The judge released Jamwa saying he might die in prison given the various health complications that he is suffering from.
“In the premises, I take judicial notice that the applicant (Jamwa) stands a high chance of having a cardiac arrest in prison. Having satisfied the bail conditions, I hereby grant the applicant bail on similar terms as those of Court of Appeal,” said justice Arach whose ruling was read out by deputy registrar of the court, Mr Godfrey Opifeni.
His five sureties including his wife, Catherine Jamwa were each bonded at Shs500m not cash.
He has also been ordered to deposit his passport with the court registrar.
The Court further ordered that Jamwa deposits his land title in court that is registered in his wife’s names that is worth Shs 2.1b and located in Munyonyo, an upscale of Kampala city.
In January this year, Jamwa petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the decision by Court of Appeal to uphold his 12-year jail sentence by the Anti-corruption Court.
Through his lawyer David Mpanga, Jamwa told court that he was dissatisfied with the decision of justices of Court of Appeal; Rubby Opio Aweri and Kenneth Kakuru of upholding and confirming the Anti-corruption court conviction and sentence.
In his appeal, Jamwa stated that he was also aggrieved with the two justices’ decision of re-evaluating evidence from the Anti-corruption court, convicting him of abuse of office and consequently sentencing him to serve four years in Luzira prison.
