The Anti-Corruption Court Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe has sentenced Pallisa County MP Samuel Otukol and three others over theft of UGX 307 million belonging to Namisindwa District Local Government.
During the sentencing on Wednesday, Her worship Asiimwe, noted that prosecution proved charges of causing financial loss, theft and conspiracy to defraud against the accused beyond reasonable doubt.
Her Worship Assiimwe sentenced MP Otukol, who is also the director of Samix Uganda Limited and Zedkol Financial Services, to two years’ imprisonment for theft and conspiracy to defraud.
Otukol was further ordered to remit UGX 202.5 million to Namisindwa District Local Government which was stolen through Samix Uganda, and UGX 105.2 million, being half of UGX 210.4 million obtained through Zedkol Financial Services.
Her Worship Assiimwe further sentenced Otukol’s co accused who include former Namisindwa district chief administrative officer Francis Odap, acting chief financial officer Willy Wamburu, and Zedkol Financial Services director Osire Ezekiel to different prison sentences for their roles in the theft of the funds.
Odap was sentenced to a 14 month’s imprisonment for causing financial loss and conspiracy to defraud, Wamburu to 15 months’ imprisonment on similar charges while Osire was fined UGX 6.5 million and also ordered to compensate the district UGX 105.2 million, representing half of the funds lost through Zedkol Financial Services.
According to prosecution, Odap approved fictitious invoices that led to the financial loss, abusing his position as the district’s top technical officer, while Wamburu was found to have initiated the fraudulent invoices and misadvised the CAO, despite holding positions of trust.
The court declined to issue compensation orders against Odap and Wamburu, noting that the funds were received by Otukol and Osire
