The State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Lt Col Edith Nakalema has since its inception in December 2018 carried out several anti-corruption investigations worth 250 billion shillings and caused the charging of several persons in Courts of law.
Speaking to journalists at Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, the Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said that 146 persons have been charged in courts of whom 120 are public officers.
“From inception to date, the Unit has so far conducted investigations on corruption related offenses in Central Government (Ministries, Departments and Agencies), Local Governments and Private Sector. The investigations are so far worth 250 billion. 146 persons have been charged before Courts of law out of whom 120 are public officers currently on interdiction and 26 are private companies/ individuals. 14 of these persons have been convicted and other cases are pending in Court at various stages,” said Opondo.
He added, “A total of 1.73 billion was recovered. 1 billion being money recovered from labour export companies that had taken from desperate youths with the promise of jobs in the Middle East and failed to provide the jobs. 738 million was money recovered from air supplies from Gaming and Lotteries Board and returned to the Treasury.”
Some of the senior government officials arrested by the unit include:
Kisoro South MP, Sam Bitangaro.
Accounting Officers/ Permanent Secretaries and Chief Executive Officers.
Christine Guwatudde Kintu – Permanent Secretary, Joel Wanjala – Accounting officer, Martin Owor – Commissioner Disaster Management and Fred Lutimba – Assistant Commissioner procurement; all from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Patrick Nyakana Mabiho – Secretary Human Rights Commission, Asiimwe Wilfred Muganga, Rebecca Nassuna, Willy Agirembabazi and Rebecca Tino; all Principals Human Rights officers and Wamala Tadeo – accountant at Human Rights Commission.
Lawrence Mujuni – Secretary Equal Opportunities Commission, Olwor Sunday Nicholas – undersecretary, Jemba Evans – Principal compliance officer, Moses Mugabe – senior monitoring and compliance officer, Harriet Byangire – senior accountant at the Human Rights Commission.
Edgar Agaba – Chief Executive Officer, Lotteries and Gaming Board and John Patrick Kazoora – manager finance and administration.
Ms Ruth Achimo – secretary Soroti University, James Odong – Internal auditor, Samuel Omoding – acting University secretary, Gabriel Otim – acting University Bursar and other staff of Soroti University.
Senior Officers from the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development (Wakiso and Mbarara Ministry Zonal Offices).
Banking Institutions.
Mr Stephen Mukweli, Managing Director Post Bank, Directors and other members of senior management of Post Bank.
Mr David Malinga Akol – Director currency in Bank of Uganda and some other branch managers.
Local Government Accounting Officers
7 Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), 05 Town Clerks, 1 Mayor and a number of senior officers from districts of Tororo, Arua, Lira, Lyantonde, Mbarara, Alebtong, Dokolo and Amolatar.
Private Companies/ individuals.
Directors of MTK limited, Fiona Kitaka, CEO Dr Francis Kitaka – junior operations manager and Alex Natukunda – commercial manager were charged with obtaining 1,095,353,800 shillings by false pretence, conspiracy to fraud and forgery.
City businessman Abid Alam who was charged with conspiracy to defeat justice arising from his interference in cases related to land disputes in Kasanda district that led to torture, death and malicious damage.
Labour Externalization
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has so far received over 1000 complaints from desperate youths.
The Unit recoverd close to 1 billion out of the closaal sums of money fraudulently obtained from desperate youths by Labor export companies.
Repatriation
Together with Police, Anti-Corruption Unit coordinated the return of 24 Ugandans that were being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment in Oman, Jordan, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
6 dead bodies were repatriated
Covid 19 Interventions
Following directive from the President, the Unit is investigating cases the Office of the Prime Minister on Government response on COVID 19.
Cases related to fraudulent procurement of relief food supplies in relation to alleged inflation of prices for food to be distributed to vulnerable people affected by measures put in place by Government to combat the spread of COVID 19 pandemic.
As a result, OPM Permanent Secretary Christine Guwatudde Kintu, Accounting Officer Joel Wanjala, Commissioner Disaster Management Martin Owor and Assistant Commissioner procurement Fred Lutimba were arrested.
