Centenary Bank has paid Shs12 million to settle a case in which two of its staff members were accused of stealing money from a client’s account, leading to the withdrawal of criminal charges against them.
The bank’s Mapeera House branch manager, Mr. Barnabas Ssekasi (40), and teller Ms. Sylvia Namuwawu (37), had been arraigned before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi on charges of theft contrary to Sections 237(1) and 244 of the Penal Code Act. Both denied the allegations.
Prosecution, led by state attorney Allan Muchuguzi, had alleged that the duo stole Shs10.3 million belonging to Maldes Advocates on June 10, 2025, at the Mapeera branch.
However, in court on Thursday, Mr. Muchuguzi informed the magistrate that the complainants had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Centenary Bank, which refunded the money and agreed to settle the matter.
“The complainants are no longer interested in pursuing this matter,” Mr. Muchuguzi told the court.
Court records show that Maldes Advocates, represented by lawyer Bernard Mutyaba, had earlier filed a complaint with police, leading to the arrest and charging of the two employees.
An agreement dated September 2025, signed by both the law firm and Centenary Bank, was presented in court, stating that the payment “extinguishes all the First Party’s claims and discharges all obligations that the two accused employees had in respect of the criminal case.”
Following the settlement, Magistrate Kayizzi ordered the case withdrawn:
“This case is hereby withdrawn after the parties have agreed. The suspects are hereby discharged unless you are held on other charges.”
The state had previously alleged that the accused conspired with others still at large to steal the funds. But with the settlement now on record, the case was formally struck off the court roll.
The complainants’ lawyer confirmed that no further legal action would be taken against the employees.
The development underscores corporate accountability, with Centenary Bank stepping in to cover the client’s loss and shielding its staff from what could have been a lengthy legal battle and possible imprisonment.
English 