Chaos as tycoon Hamis Kiggundu storms out of Supreme Court in protest

Flanked by a group of coordinated protesters, Kiggundu arrived with his lawyers at the court for what was supposed to be a pre-hearing conference in the case which has been in courts since 2020.

In the case, Kiggundu through his lawyers of Muwema and Co Advocates accuses the bank of unlawfully debiting over Shs 120 billion from its account over a spread period of 10 years, in excess of all its liabilities to the bank.

In late May, the Supreme Court Register invited Kiggundu to a pre-hearing conference today, Thursday June 8th.

But on getting to the court, Lady Justice Elizabeth Musoke informed them that the final ruling in the case was set to be delivered early next week without consideration of a civil application which they had filed early last year.

In this application Kiggundu sought a judgment on what he said Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) had admitted during earlier hearings, to committing illegalities, that is, operating in Uganda without a license.

However, Justice Musoke today said there was no more time to entertain this application because the main judgment was ready to be delivered on Tuesday, February 13th.

“The judgment will be delivered on Tuesday and besides; whatever you have now will not add much to what the judges will consider in their judgment,” she said.

This angered Counsel Muwema, who questioned the judge why they were invited for a pre-hearing conference when the final judgment was in fact ready.

“I believe that the court, by inviting us for a pre-hearing, recognized that for one year and a half it has been sitting with an application of a litigant that hasn't been entertained. We are entitled to be heard,” he said.

As the lawyer and the judge exchanged, Kiggundu and the group of protesters stormed out of the courtroom shouting, “we want justice” chants.

Speaking to the press outside, the tycoon accused the Judiciary of being influenced by powerful people including President Museveni’s in-law Edwin Karugire, a partner in the law firm representing DTB, as well as the Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

Hamis wondered why the court was “protecting” the bank which admitted itself and on record to have been operating illegally in Uganda.