High Court Orders MTN Uganda to Pay Shs2.3 Billion to Former Executive Over Malicious Prosecution
KAMPALA, Uganda — The High Court has ordered MTN Uganda to pay more than Shs2.3 billion in damages to its former executive, Richard Mwami, after ruling that the telecommunications company maliciously prosecuted him in a criminal case that the court found to be unjustified.
In a judgment delivered on June 29, 2026, Justice Bonny Isaac Teko held that MTN Uganda unlawfully instigated criminal proceedings against Mwami despite evidence indicating that he was not involved in the fraud under investigation but had instead played a key role in exposing it.
Court Finds MTN Uganda Acted Without Just Cause
According to the ruling, Mwami, a senior corporate executive at the time, helped uncover a major fraud within the company.
A forensic audit conducted by Grant Thornton identified the individuals allegedly responsible for the fraud, but Mwami’s name did not appear among those implicated.
Despite this, he was later arrested and prosecuted.
The court heard that the prosecution largely relied on a statement obtained from another suspect under circumstances that were later found to be improper.
That statement was subsequently ruled inadmissible by Justice Lawrence Gidudu, who concluded that it had been obtained through coercion and failed to meet legal standards.
Arrest Came Long After Investigations
Justice Teko noted that Mwami was arrested more than a year after investigations had been completed and was subjected to a lengthy criminal trial before being acquitted of all charges in December 2015.
The judge ruled that MTN Uganda was the driving force behind the prosecution and proceeded without reasonable or probable cause, relying on evidence it either knew or should have known was unreliable.
The court further held that the company acted with malice by using the criminal justice system for purposes beyond its lawful function.
In the judgment, the court described Mwami as a “sacrificial lamb,” echoing observations previously made during the criminal proceedings.
Career and Reputation Severely Affected
Court documents showed that Mwami spent seven days on remand at Luzira Prison and remained under restrictive bail conditions for more than two years while the case progressed.
The court also heard that he lost his employment after being classified as a reputational risk by the Bank of Uganda.
Justice Teko further observed that widespread media coverage portraying Mwami as a fraud suspect caused significant damage to his professional reputation before any court had determined his guilt or innocence.
Court Awards Shs2.3 Billion in Damages
The High Court awarded Mwami a total of Shs2,309,750,000 in compensation, comprising:
- Special damages: Shs1,809,750,000
- General damages: Shs400,000,000
- Exemplary damages: Shs100,000,000
The court also ordered that the award will attract 10 percent annual interest from the date of judgment until the full amount is paid.
Attorney General Removed from the Case
While the court ruled in Mwami’s favor against MTN Uganda, the claim against the Attorney General was dismissed after the court found it had been filed outside the legally prescribed time limit.
Justice Teko also directed MTN Uganda to pay the legal costs incurred by Mwami during the civil proceedings.
The ruling marks one of the most significant awards for malicious prosecution in Uganda and reinforces the principle that employers and other complainants may be held liable where criminal proceedings are initiated without sufficient evidence or for improper purposes.
