Entebbe Chief Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis has remanded former Entebbe Civil Aviation Director for Airports and Aviation Security, Eng. Sooma Ayub, over charges of neglect of duty linked to the alleged theft of copper rods worth millions of shillings from Entebbe International Airport.
Prosecution alleges that on October 28, 2024, Eng. Sooma who was arrested yesterday failed to supervise, report and take immediate action to prevent the theft of copper rods installed on the rooftop of the new cargo building at the airport.
Court heard that one of the service providers, identified as Abudala Abasa, had earlier raised concerns in a letter regarding the need to replace the stolen copper rods. However, the prosecution alleges that Eng. Sooma failed to act on the warning or take the necessary steps to safeguard the facility.
The prosecution informed court that investigations into the matter are still ongoing and requested more time to complete inquiries.
In response, Sooma’s lawyer told court that his client suffers from a heart complication and requires medical attention, urging the court to consider his health condition as it handles his bail application.
The magistrate subsequently set November 13 as the date for a ruling on the bail application. Three sureties, drawn from his family and friends, were presented in support of his request for release.
Eng. Sooma, who was recently dismissed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni alongside several other engineers, has now been added to a charge sheet involving 13 other technical staff from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).
The 13 co-accused were earlier arraigned before Chief Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis and charged over alleged acts of negligence and omissions that prosecutors say contributed to the loss of airport property valued at approximately Shs23 billion. They were remanded until November 18 as investigations continue.
The charges against the accused relate to alleged failures in the management and protection of critical airport infrastructure and equipment.
