Key MTN partner-YoTV-boss jailed over sh264m unpaid NSSF contributions

The company director of Al Bayan Media Limited, Aggrey Mugisha, has been remanded by Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court for allegedly failing to remit National Social Security Fund (NSSF) contributions for his employees.

Mugisha appeared before the court on Monday, facing six charges related to the non-remittance of social security contributions. The court heard that between January 2021 and December 2022, Mugisha failed to remit contributions and statutory penalties totalling over Shs 264 million to the NSSF.

Al Bayan Media Limited, located at Ham Towers on Makerere Hill, is also facing charges as an eligible employer that negligently failed to remit the required social contributions.

Albayan Media is the brain behind YOTVChannels platform, a mobile application available on iOS and Android, which allows users to stream TV or radio on their phones. Users can access YoTV’ s content on mobile devices, tablets, laptops, and Smart TVs.

The innovation saw MTN coming on board as a partner in 2023 to offer a revamped entertainment experience.

Mugisha denied the charges and attempted to apply for bail. However, chief magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, who was standing in for magistrate Winnie Nankya, noted that he was not presiding over the case.

Although Kayizzi expressed willingness to hear the bail application, both Mugisha’s legal team and the state attorney, Ivan Kyazze, opposed it. Kyazze argued that it would be more appropriate for the trial magistrate to handle the bail request.

Kayizzi concurred, pointing out that Mugisha had been brought to court following a warrant of arrest issued on July 19, 2024, after he failed to respond to multiple criminal summonses. To avoid any potential complications in the case, Kayizzi declined to process the bail application. As a result, Mugisha was remanded to Luzira Prison until September 5.

Sources say Mugisha’s woes can be traced to some staff that were fired some time back and are now paying back in the same coin. But this is a story for another day.