MTN ordered to pay Shs2.3b over malicious prosecution of Ex-manager National Jun 30
The story
Your subscription is almost coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the great content on Nation.Africa
Your premium access has ended, but the best of Nation.Africa is still within reach. Renew now to unlock exclusive stories and in-depth features.
Details
The High Court has ordered MTN Uganda to pay more than Shs2.3 billion in damages to former senior manager Richard Mwami after finding that the telecom company maliciously instigated criminal proceedings against him, despite evidence clearing him in a multi-billion-shilling mobile money fraud case.
In his judgment, Justice Isaac Bonny Teko held that MTN was the “moving force” behind Mwami’s prosecution and relied on an illegally obtained confession to implicate him, even though its own forensic investigations had exonerated him.
The court awarded Mwami Shs1.81 billion in special damages, Shs400 million in general damages and Shs100 million in exemplary damages, bringing the total to about Shs2.31 billion, excluding interest and legal costs.
Mwami, who worked as MTN’s Senior Manager for MTN Village Phone before becoming Senior Manager Public Access, was among the first officials to detect suspicious transactions on the company’s mobile money platform in December 2011. He reported the anomalies to senior management, triggering investigations into an alleged Shs16 billion fraud.
According to the judgment, MTN commissioned a forensic audit by Grant Thornton. The report, dated January 12, 2012, identified individuals linked to the fraud but did not implicate Mwami.
Despite this, Mwami was later arrested and charged after a statement was obtained from suspect Patrick Ssentongo. That statement was later ruled inadmissible by then Anti-Corruption Court judge Lawrence Gidudu, who found it had been obtained involuntarily and illegally.
How other sources reported it
Nile Post Business also reported on the story, highlighting that telecommunications giant mtn uganda has indicated it is considering an appeal against a high court judgment ordering it to pay more than shs2.3 billion in damages to its former senior manager, richard mwami, for malicious prosecution.
Why it matters
This is a public-interest story for readers because it touches institutions, communities, policy decisions, or services that affect daily life. Mods99 News will continue updating the article if more verified details become available.