Three District Officials of Lyantonde District Local Government have been acquitted on charges of abuse of office and theft after the then Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Christopher Okumu who had been left out was proven by court as the one responsible for flouting the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) laws and irregularly confirmed payment of Shs 31.4M to Jose Motor Services Garage to repair 2 District Motor Vehicles.
The Anti-Corruption Court Grade One Magistrate Abert Asiimwe set free Ndyahebwa Kyomukama Ezra the former Lyantonde District ACAO, Kiwanuka Francis the District Engineer and Nsimbe Joseph the Manager of Jose Motor Services Garage in Banda Nakawa-Kampala District.
However Magistrate Asiimwe convicted Mugabi Moses Ndawula, the then Lyantonde District Chief Finance Officer (CFO) after finding him guilty of having connived with Okumu to approve the payment without the knowledge of the Contracts Committee.
50 year old Mugabi Moses Ndawula has therefore been fined Shs 3M and disqualified from holding public office for a period of 10years.
The Magistrate noted that Mugabi didn’t deserve a prison sentence because by the time the 10 years are over he will have automatically retired from public service and the fact that he was not alone in the Commission of this crime.
He is alleged to have committed the offence in May 2017. Court also ordered that the bail money of the acquitted officials be refunded to them.
