IGG not ready to prosecute Ojangole

By Edward   Anyoli       

The Inspectorate of  Government (IGG)  is  not  yet  ready  to prosecute   Patricia  Ojangole,  the Chief  Executive  Officer of  Uganda  Development  Bank (UDBL) over alleged victimization  of  a whistle blower.

IGG head of prosecution  Sarah  Birungi  told  Justice  Paul  Mugamba  of the Anti-  Corruption  Court  that   she was not  ready  to proceed with case because she needed more time to summon witnesses.  She (Birungi) asked for three weeks to enable her summon prosecution witnesses to testify.

Kenneth  Akampurira  who  represented  Ojangole  said  he was  ready  proceed  with  case.

Last month  the  Anti-  Corruption  Court  acquitted  Ojangole  of all the charges of conflict of interest where she had been  accused of  irregularly securing  a job  as CEO  of UDBL.

Prosecution  alleged that , Ojangole  being  the  chief executive officer  and chairperson  of  executive committee  of Uganda Development Bank Limited (UDBL), a public liability company  owned  by the Government  of  Uganda  victimized a whistleblower , Charlotte Kazoora Mucunguzi for  making  a  disclosure to the Uganda  police and  Inspectorate  of  Government  about the improper  manner  in which the board and management  of UDBL were handling $11.5m  loan.

Kazoora Mucunguzi was allegedly victimised for disclosing to the inspectorate alleged irregularities by the bank in handling a huge loan application by Savannah Commodities Ltd.

She was subsequently (Kazoora) dismissed by a decision taken at the bank’s extra ordinary executive management meeting held on January24, 2013 .The Inspectorate said the victimisation was contrary to provision of the Whistleblowers Act, particularly section 16 and 9 of the Act.

Section16 stipulates the penalty for victimization, which is imprisonment not exceeding five years upon conviction or fine not exceeding 120 currency points (sh2.4m)