25th September 2023.
KAMPALA – In a case that has captured public attention, Musa Lukungu, a city lawyer, has filed an application seeking to halt his prosecution in connection with the alleged shillings 2 billion fraud case involving Tropical Bank Limited. Lukungu, along with three bank employees, lawyers, and a businessman, are facing trial over the loss of shillings 2 billion in what has become a closely watched legal battle.
The accused lawyer, Musa Lukungu, who has claimed that he endured torture while in police custody during the investigation phase of the case, is seeking the dismissal of the charges against him. He submitted his application on September 22, 2023, at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala, seeking a declaration that he was subjected to inhumane treatment.
Lukungu alleges that during the investigations carried out in 2022, he was subjected to physical abuse, including being beaten with batons, kicked in the ribs with combat boots, pepper-sprayed in the eyes, and tortured with a hot metal object. He contends that these actions, which he claims led to the charges against him, were inhumane and should render the entire case null and void.
In his application, Lukungu argues, “That it is just, humanly fair, and convenient for this court to declare the proceedings a nullity and discharge the applicant from the criminal trial and grant the declarations and orders sought.”
Furthermore, Lukungu asserts that his arrest and subsequent 21-day detention by the police constituted a gross violation of his rights. He alleges that between November 2021 and January 2022, law enforcement and other state agents orchestrated his arrest, unlawfully detained him, and subjected him to prolonged torture.
The prosecution’s case revolves around allegations that Lukungu and others conspired in 2021 at Tropical Bank’s Kawempe branch to defraud the bank of shillings 2 billion, which was irregularly paid to certain advocates and businessman Muzafalu Kamoga Lukanika.
The fate of Lukungu and his co-accused now rests in the hands of Judge Lawrence Gidudu, who has yet to schedule a hearing for Lukungu’s application. As the legal proceedings continue, this case continues to be closely monitored by both legal experts and the public, with many eager to see how it unfolds.
