A 40-year-old man was sentenced by the Kabale Chief Magistrates Court on Tuesday for impersonating a lawyer at the Kabale Grade I Magistrates Court in Makanga Hill, Kabale Municipality. Max Besigye was arrested while posing as a legal representative in a case presided over by His Worship Pascal Olupot.
Claiming to be from Kabali, Sebowa and Company Advocates, Besigye appeared before His Worship Olupot in a taxation case related to the execution carried out by court bailiffs. These bailiffs, represented by Murambi Auctioneers and High Court Bailiffs led by Richard Muhanguzi, were involved in the taxation process regarding land possession, linked to a dispute between Seperenza Tibasima and Joy Busingye under miscellaneous application 30 of 2016.
His ruse came to an abrupt end when the Magistrate requested his practicing certificate, which Besigye failed to present. After verifying, the court discovered that the law firm, Kabali, Sebowa and Company Advocates, referred to by Besigye, was non-existent. He then confessed to the court that he was not a lawyer and pleaded for forgiveness.
Joy Busingye informed the court that she had paid Besigye Shs 1,000,000 as legal fees for his representation.
Besigye pleaded guilty and expressed remorse for his actions, admitting that he was not a lawyer but was attempting to make a living.
As a consequence, His Worship Olupot sentenced him to 14 days in Ndorwa Government Prison and also ordered him to refund the Shs 1,000,000 obtained from Busingye. Additionally, Besigye was sentenced to serve six months in prison.
