Major Kapalaga Lubega, a UPDF officer attached to Air force Katabi Barracks, his wife Evas Twinomugisha and Mrs. Carol Kyakabale a Human Resource officer at Ministry of Defense Headquarters Mbuya have applied to be released on bail.
The three are charged with 2 fraud offences through which they caused government a loss of 2.7 billion shillings resulting from recruiting a ghost Russian pilot.
These through their lawyers Major Asha Patra, Lt Mogi Brain and Annah Twinomugisha asked the Makindye General Court Martial chairman Lt Gen Andrew Gutti to release them on bail pending their trial.
In their consolidated application submitted by Mrs. Anna Twinomugisha, the accused pointed out that the offences against them are bailable and that bail is their constitutional right.
They also presented what they called substantial sureties, and committed not interfere with investigations or abscond.
Major Kapalaga informed court that he is suffering from heart problem which can’t be managed in the Prison, and that he and his wife being in jail leaves no one to provide for their family.
These presented in court two sureties each and after their submission, the lead state prosecutor Major Raphael Mugisha asked court for an adjournment to enable them verify the documents presented by all the six sureties.
Lt Gen Andrew Gutti adjourned the matter to 27th April 2017 for the state to reply on the submissions by the applicants and the accused were remanded back to Makindye Military Prisons and Luzira women’s wing respectively.
The Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large, between the months of October 2005 and January 2016 caused the Ministry of Defense to enter into an employment contract with a nonexistent Russian pilot named Valerir Ketrisk.