HOIMA – The Anti-Corruption Court has Friday, October 13, 2023, convicted and sentenced three officials of Hoima District on charges of forgery.
The trio forged executive committee minutes alleging that they had been authorized to hire out road equipment to private individuals.
The officials who have been on trial since 2021 were arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit together with police after a complaint was received that the accused were allegedly hiring out District road equipment to a private businessman in Kiryandongo District.
The officials are; Vice Chairperson Chiche Benson, Secretary for Production, Magambo Jackson, and Secretary for Finance Kumakech Geoffrey.
The officials have been handed a sentence by Chief Magistrate her Worship Joan Achiro of a cash fine of UGX 5 million each and will not serve in government for the next 10 years.
Background
Trouble for three officials stemmed from the misuse of road equipment that was impounded by the Police and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in 2021.
The equipment that includes a grader and a Vibro roller machine was found on a private farm owned by an Indian investor at Kaduku village in Kigumba Town Council, Kiryandongo district.
At the time they were impounded, the grader and the Vibro roller had their number plates plucked off.
This led to the arrest of the Hoima District Engineer, Ibrahim Luswata, Vincent Irumba, the works supervisor, and Charles Tibagwa, a mechanic attached to the Hoima district local government. They were accused of conniving with other district leaders to misuse the equipment.
Benson Chiche told the media that the district had legally hired out the road equipment following a resolution made by the DEC in June this year.
It later emerged that the minutes he claimed to have been followed as they hired equipment had been forged.
Working together with Police, the matter was investigated and the equipment was recovered and handed over to Ministry of Works.
President Museveni in 2017 commissioned road equipment’s to help districts construct their own roads.
