Col. Bantariza Granted Bail

Col. Shaban Bantariza has this afternoon been granted bail by the General Court Martial sitting in Luzira.

The court chaired by Brigadier Moses Ddiba granted the army official and deputy government spokesperson bail.

Bantariza is charged with three counts of fraud, attempted fraud and tampering with government documents in relation to the purchase of a 67 million shillings tractor for the National Institute of leadership in Kyankwanzi.

He was arrested from his home in Bweyogerere by the army and remanded to Kololo officers mess before being charged and remanded to Makindye military prison last week.

Standing surety for him in court this afternoon was Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Kahinda Otafiire and Col. John Mary Kaganda.

The prosecution alleges that while at Akamba Uganda Ltd on Old port Bell road in Kampala, Col Bantariza received an ITMCO tractor and its accessories donated by the Finance ministry to the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi which he turned to private use.

UPDF spokesperson Paddy Ankunda told URN that the colonel had already deposited his travel documents with the court and that he will be returning to the court every first and last week of the month as his bail condition.

Bantariza was recently appointed deputy government spokesperson at the Uganda Media Centr