City Businessman Justus Kashoma on Tuesday broke down in court while he put up his defense over allegations of robbing Stanbic Bank Garden City branch of huge sums of money.
Kashoma, who is facing charges of theft and conspiracy to defraud the bank, gave his defense without taking oath before Buganda Road Court.
The businessman is accused of stealing over 985 million shillings. He is also accused of conspiring with others to steal 500 million shillings and another 9 billion shillings from the same bank, which charges he denies.
Kashoma began his defense by narrating to court what exactly happened to him on the day of the alleged bank robbery.He told court that at around 11am on September 25, 2008, he was arrested from Stanbic Bank Garden City branch, where he had gone to collect his money after he had received a call from the bank officials to do so.
He admitted to court to have been transacting with Stanbic Bank Garden city branch since he had opened up five different accounts in different currencies with the bank and that they were all active for purposes of his businesses.The different currency accounts included; US Dollar account, British Pound Sterling, Uganda shilling and Kenya shilling accounts.
But he denied requesting for 3.7 million dollars, describing it as an abnormal an abnormal range.
Kashoma said he did not walk out of the bank with any money, noting that instead the money which was in his wallet was taken away by the arresting officers. He did not declare how much it was.
Kashoma broke down in tears as he concluded his defense on how the arrest and the “sham charges” have shattered his family to the extent of his wife getting a miscarriage.
Court will convene on August 6 for the state and defense lawyers to make their final submissions before a judgment date can be set.
Initially, the businessman was jointly charged along with five other people. However, the five suspects were acquitted last year after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided to withdraw charges against them.
The five include Private David Muhumuza, an intelligence staff, a driver to former Health Minister Jim Muhwezi, Captain Muzamiru Wakulira, and three Stanbic Bank staff; Sam Wanamama, Sharifa Kyamanywa and Barry Zizinga.
