The Anti-Corruption Court has ordered for the arrest of Siraje Bakaleke for defying court summons.
This was after Bakaleke failed to turn up today to answer charges related to conspiracy to defraud, kidnap and abuse of office where he is jointly accused with eight others.
They include Paul Wanyoto Mugoya a lawyer, Nabeta Samuel Mulowooza, the Managing Director of Eye Power Engineering Company and police officers Robert Munezero, Innocent Nuwagaba, Robert Ray Asiimwe, Junior Amanya, Babu Gastavas and Kenneth Zirintuusa.
These were all in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabende ordered for the Bakaleke’s arrest at the request of State Prosecutor Harriet Angom.
Meanwhile, all his co-accused were granted bail of shillings 7 million shillings cash while their sureties were each bailed at 150 million shillings non-cash.
Bakaleke and eight others are accused of allegedly extorting 1.4 billion Shillings from two South Korean Nationals Park Seunghoon and Jang Shingu Un. The two came to Uganda looking for gold amounting to USD 1.5 million, early this year.
However, they were arrested from Acacia Mall in Kampala; where they were due to meet their lawyer Paul Wanyoto.
Reports indicate that on the day of the meeting, the dealers were surrounded by security operatives, put on gunpoint and asked to hand over the money in their possession. A total of 1.4 billion Shillings was handed over to the police officers before the two South Koreans were arrested and detained at Katwe Police Station.
They were later told that they were facing terrorism charges and would be deported.
It later turned out that the deployment had been sanctioned by Siraj Bakaleke after a tipoff from the lawyer who indicated that two of his clients were involved in dubious activities and he had a suspicion that they were financial terrorists.
The police officers reportedly bought two air tickets with Emirates air using some of the extorted money.
Bakaleke has since applied to Civil Division of High court seeking orders to halt this trial in the Anti-Corruption Court on grounds that the DPP needs to first complete investigations before sanctioning charges against him.