Assessors want ex-Mubende Hospital officials jailed over sh271m loss

Court assessors have asked the Anti- Corruption Court to jail three former officials of Mubende Referral Hospital accused of mismanaging sh271m.

Henry Okumu, Aston Kasangaki and Peter Okot are facing charges of abuse of office, embezzlement and fraudulent false accounting respectively.

Hillary Jakolya and Jane Nabukwasa asked justice Lawrence Gidudu to convict the three accused saying prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against them.

The assessors who gave a joint opinion said circumstantial evidence indicates that the trio transferred money meant for the hospital to a private company Credo Oil and Uga Furniture.

"My lord the evidence surrounding these facts though circumstantial, all point to (A1) Okori a beneficiary of this financial loss," Okori said. 

While summing up the case for the assessors, Justice Gidudu said the assessors should look at the evidence as a whole regarding specific offences against each accused.

The assessors said the accused failed in their defence to prove that they accounted for the money.

"My lord A2(Kasangaki) and A3(Okot) were the direct payees as the bank agents, we contend that it is only them who can explain the alterations and the whereabouts of the differeces of the money. We believe these cheques were altered before being cashed we do not believe the payment were legitimate," Jakolya said.

Justice Gidudu said he will deliver the judgment on January6, 2016

 "You have heard what the assessors have said that I should convict you accordingly.  I will see whether I agree with them or not," Gidudu said.

Prosecution led state attorney Harriet Angom from the Directorate of Public Prosecution said the accused while employed at the hospital abused their office when they allegedly made fraudulent payment to Uga Furniture and Credo oil without any justifiable expenditure.

The accused are facing embezzlement, causing financial loss, abuse of office, fraudulent accounting false accounting. They allegedly committed the offences between 2010 and 2011 while working at Mubende referral hospital. They denied the charges.