The Anti-Corruption Court has Wednesday denied bail to Angella Vivienne Chebet, wife to embattled Ugandan socialite Suliaman Kabangala (SK) Mbuga.
Chebet was in February this year arrested and charged with six counts of obtaining money by false pretense and money laundering before being remanded to Luzira prison.
She is also accused of jumping bail in Sweden, where she and her Swedish lover Heinsoo Sten are are accused of defrauding a Swedish company known as Erinar Matsson AB of over Swedish krona 53 million (about Shs 23 billion).
While denying the accused bail, Justice Margret Tibulya said that she could not release somebody who has a bad record of jumping bail, citing the bail Chebet jumped in Sweden where she had been indicted on fraud charges.
It is alleged that in 2015, Chebet with intent to defraud, obtained money from Heinsoo Sten by falsely pretending to facilitate a gold deal.
Through her lawyer Emmanuel Wamimbi, Chebet applied for bail and presented her uncle Ismail Lwanga, aunt Betty Kayiwa, sister Sarah Kaweesa, a one Judith Kabaale and her friend Bridget Kiggundu as sureties.
Mr Waminbi told court that Chebet had two infant children with the youngest Aliana Mbuga suffering from asthma.
According to the lawyer, the children needed special care that cannot be given by anyone else other than their mother.
He added that SK Mbuga (their father) who would have assisted to take care of the children, was in jail in Sweden.
It will be remembered that SK Mbuga was last month released from jail in the United Arab Emirates and extradited to Denmark to face trial in a case where he is accused of defrauding $ 2.6 million in a “fake” Gold deal.
State Attorney Innocent Alito asked court not to grant bail to Chebet because she had already jumped bail granted by court in Sweden.
Alito told the Anti-Corruption High Court last week that Chebet is wanted by authorities in Sweden and that the international police issued a red notice after she fled in 2017, upon being granted bail.
“The applicant (Chebet) is charged with money laundering, a serious offence carrying a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison or a fine of Shs 2 billion. The amount involved is Shs 23 billion, which she, together with her Swedish boyfriend Heinsoo Sten, defrauded a company, Einar Matsson AB and it was wired to her account in Barclays Bank, her Ugandan husband, Sulaiman Kabangala (aka SK) Mbuga and a one Muhammad Mbabaali,” she said.
Aliko further said that if granted bail, Chebet might escape and yet the sureties she presented are not financially able.
