Corruption suspects reappear in court

The Interdicted principal accountant of Public Service ministry Christopher Obey (R) with a colleague at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo yesterday. Photo by Dominic Bukenya 

By ANTHONY WESAKA & JULIET KIGONGO

In Summary

The suspects include OPM, Public Service and Local Government ministry officials.

Kampala- The Anti-Corruption Court was yesterday a beehive of activities as several high profile government officials re-appeared before the court, five months after their case files were frozen.

The Kololo-based court has been inactive for the past five months.

Some of the suspects who re-appeared in court include; interdicted Public Service officials Jimmy Lwamafa, Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa, (interdicted Director Research and Development), Christopher Obey, (interdicted Principal Accountant) and David Oloka Japians, (interdicted senior accounts assistant).

Mr Lwamafa and group are accused of causing financial loss of more than Shs165 billion in connection with the creation of 2,605 ghost pensioners and their eventual payment.

Presiding Magistrate Sarah Langa adjourned their case to March 3 for mention and April 3 for hearing.

The other suspects who re-appeared in court included; former Local government permanent secretary John Muhanguzi Kashaka and five others.


Mr Kashaka and group are accused of hurriedly signing a contract with a bicycle supplier, leading to the payment of $1.7 million (about Shs4.6 billion), without getting audit clearance for the supply of 70,000 bicycles that were never supplied to date.

The bicycles were intended to be given to the village LC1 chairpersons to help in their transportation ahead of 2011 general elections.

Their matter was adjourned to February 7 for summing up the case for the court assessors, who will in turn give their opinion regarding the case before a judgment date can be set.

Former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Geoffrey Kazinda, was also produced before the same court from Luzira prison to answer to two different files in connection to alleged fraud.

Kazinda who is currently serving a five-year jail term, following his conviction last year, returns to court on February 5 and 10 respectively for mention of his cases.