A 42-year-old man has been charged and sentenced to either one year in prison or to pay a fine of one million shillings by the Kabale Chief Magistrate Julius Borore Kyaka for holding out as an advocate of the High Court of Uganda which he is not.
Led by Gloria Mwiiza the Kabale District State Attorney, Prosecution told court that on April 5, 2018 while at Kabale court premises, Fred Byaruhanga Mpangana held out to be an advocate of the High Court of Uganda before the Kabale high court judge, Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi. This is in contravention of Section 64(1), 65(1) and 79 of the Advocates Act CAP 267.
According to prosecution, Byaruhanga claimed to be representing Ngaruye Ruhindi of Ngaruye Ruhindi and Spencer Advocates in a case which the Managing Director of Leading Distillers Limited, Moses Mugisha, had sued the Former Kabale Resident District Commissioner, Cox Nyakairu Apuuli and Kabale district local government for impounding his lorry under civil suit 88 of 2010.
The plaintiff was demanding for 51 million shillings for the loss encountered.
Trouble for Byaruhanga started when he failed to present his practicing certificate to Justice Kazibwe, before the judge ordered for his arrest. On interrogation Byaruhanga confessed that he was, in fact, a clerk with Ngaruye Ruhindi and Spencer Advocates in Mbarara.
When the charges were read for him, Byaruhanga pleaded guilty and asked for forgiveness. The Chief Magistrate then sentenced him to serve one year in jail or to pay a fine of one million shillings, since he did not waste court's time.
