By our reporter
Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday granted a non-cash bail of Shs20m to three Makerere University staff who charged with issuing fake Covid-19 results.
The suspects included Emmanuel Kawalya,36, a laboratory assistant/Covid-19 sample collector at Makerere University Hospital, Gideon Nsubuga,25, a laboratory technologist/molecular biologist, and Dafala Kezimbira,30, an IT personnel all at Makerere University College of Health Sciences Laboratory.
They were released during an Audio-Visual Conferencing session presided over by magistrate, Gladys Kamasanyu of Buganda Road Court on Wednesday, each of the accused’s two sureties was bonded at Shs10m not cash.
This was after the state prosecutor, Ms Miriam Njuki, told the court that she had no objection to the accused persons’ bail application.
The three are charged with five counts of forgery of Covid-19 results and committing a negligent act likely to spread infection or disease.
They were charged alongside Ms Justine Nasonko, 28, a businesswoman who deals in printing at Nasser Road in Kampala. Ms Nasonko was as also granted bail on similar terms.
The magistrate, Kamasanyu, adjourned the matter to November 20 for further mention.
Prosecution contends Kawalya, Nsubuga, Kezimbira and Nasonko and others still at large between the months of September and October 2020 in Kampala unlawfully and negligently issued out negative COVID-19 test results to COVID-19 positive clients which they knew or had reason to believe is likely to spread infection of COVID-19.
One the counts of forgery it alleged that the four and others still at large, in the month of October 2020 with intent to defraud or deceive made false COVID-19 test result certificate in the names of four people who are; Al Noumani Mohawk Said Khaila, Walusimbi James Bernard, Namubiru Irene, and Zawadi Milliam purporting to have been genuinely issued by the Minister of Health/Makerere.