The High Court has upheld the decision by Uganda Law Council to suspend prominent lawyer Geoffrey Nangumya from practice for 16 months and get him to refund client's money he recovered and used for personal interests.
In July 2018, the Law Council, the professional regulator of lawyers, suspended Nangumya after he confessed recovering money on behalf Emmy Tumwine and instead of conveying to him, pocketed it.
Nangumya's troubles stem from a petition that city businessman Tumwine filed at the Law Council, accusing the seasoned lawyer of picking Shs63 million from Muwema and Company Advocates, the law firm which was representing his opponent in a land dispute.
In ordering Nangumya to refund the money, the five-member committee of the Law Council chaired by Bruce Kyerere, Joyce Nalunga Birimumaaso, Miriam Namutebi, Simon Kinobe, Frank Nigel Othembi asked him to pay Tumwine Shs1m for pursuing his complaint and also Shs1.5m to the committee, itself.
The Judges ruled that Nangumya had failed to demonstrate to the Law Council and in their court in any way that he informed or remitted the said money to Tumwine.
