Obore, six co-accused granted bail after 2 months in jail

What the report says

The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has granted bail to interdicted Parliament communications director Chris Obore and six co-accused after about two months in custody, according to The Observer. Justice Michael Elubu approved the applications after hearing arguments from defence lawyers and the Inspectorate of Government, which had opposed release while investigations continued.

The seven are facing charges linked to the alleged misappropriation of Shs 27.2 billion at Parliament. The case concerns money said to have been allocated for donations and corporate social responsibility activities, with accusations including embezzlement, causing financial loss and money laundering. The accused deny the allegations and remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Under the bail terms, each accused must pay cash bail set between Shs 20 million and Shs 35 million, surrender their passports and report regularly to court. Their sureties were also required to provide property documents as security. Obore was granted Shs 30 million bail, while the others received varying amounts depending on the court’s assessment of the proposed security.

The Observer reported that prosecutors argued some of the accused could interfere with witnesses, including Parliament employees, and said investigations were not yet complete. The judge questioned the strength of those claims and examined the property documents submitted. The ruling gives the group temporary freedom once the conditions are met, but the substantive corruption case continues.