The Chief Magistrate of Nakawa has been notified that a phoney doctor Francis Baguma who sold fake Covid-19 vaccines to over 800 Ugandans has gone missing in Kitalya prison.
Baguma was remanded to Kitalya on August 10 by the same Court on a charge of neglect act likely to spread Covid infection, after his arrest by State House operatives.
He was on run for over two months following reports that Baguma together with two other nurses sold fake jabs to a number of corporate companies in Kampala.
The head State House Health Monitoring Unit, Dr Wallen Naamara told the media in June that some of the recipients of these fake vaccines had since died.
His accomplices were arrested and sent to prison by Nakawa Magistrates Court.
Baguma and his allies were reportedly charging shs100,000 and 200,000 to administer the vaccine.
Some of the companies that bought these vaccines include; Diamond Trust Bank, Bank of Africa, Uganda Baati, Madhvani, Seven Hills, Dot Maxs Packaging and more than 800 individuals were found to have been recorded as recipients of the fake vaccine.
Following his arrest and subsequent remand to Kityala, his lawyer filed a bail application at Nakawa Court and the Magistrate set August 23 (last Monday) for hearing.
As procedure, due to Covid-19 suspects are presented to Court remotely using videoconferencing.
The prison is there informed to arrange and present the suspects.
To a surprise, Kitalya prison administration informed the Nakawa Chief Magistrate that it didn’t have a prisoner by the names of Francis Baguma.
Court further asked Kigo and Luzira prison if they in possession a suspect- Francis Baguma. He was found nowhere.
The Magistrate was compelled to postpone Baguma’s bail hearing to September 13 and told his lawyer to begin a search and establish where her client could be.
But Court document (remand form) this website obtained indicates that Baguma was sent to Kitalya Prison on August 10.
Kitalya prison officials were not willing to comment on the matter when reached.
Frank Beine, the Uganda Prisons spokesperson was not available as his known phone number couldn’t go through.
But a high-ranking official in Uganda Prisons we talked about this matter said, suspects with the help of their lawyers tend to use this trick to delay court and thereafter secure bail when no one is noticing especially when case is of public interest.
We have further established that Baguma is related to a senior officer in Uganda Police.