Lyantonde district officials steal Shs8m, charged

By Our Reporter

 Three officials from Lyantonde District Local Government were arrested by the Inspectorate of Government on Monday and charged at the Anti-Corruption on Tuesday for embezzlement of about Shs8 million on September 10, 2015.

The officials charged of the embezzlement of the money were; Medard Byarugaba – Ag District Education Officer, Anne Byarutinda – Ag District Inspector of Schools and Chris Businge- Accounts Assistant. They appeared before Her Worship Sarah Namusobya. They pleaded not guilty.

The three officials were released on a cash bail of Shs 2 million each. There sureties, two per the accused persons, were bonded non-cash of Uganda Shillings thirty million each. The case will come up for mention on October 21 2019.

They face three charges of false accounting, embezzlement  abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud government of the money.

 According to the charge sheet, their actions are contrary to contrary to Section 22 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009, Section 19(a) (i) (iii) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 and Section 11(1) & (2) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009.

Byarugaba and Businge are accused of knowingly furnishing a false return of Shs8,380,000 meant as transport refund for participants and facilitators at several workshops held in Lyantonde District during the financial year 2014/2015.

The charge sheet says the three officials did arbitrary acts as they paid Shs5, 000 as transport refund to participants in workshops organized by the Education Department contrary to what had been budgeted and provided for. It says their acts were prejudicial to the interests of their employer, participants and facilitators.

The three officials alleged to have conspired to defraud the government of Uganda of the money meant to facilitate participants and facilitators at several workshops organized by the Education Department during that financial year.

The officials hand been entrusted with over Shs30 million to facilitate participants that attended the workshops.Attachments area