KAMPALA - The Anti- Corruption Court has acquitted Soroti Municipality Capt. Mike Mukula in a sh210m embezzlement case.

Justice David Wangutusi ruled Wednesday morning that Mukula is innocent, adding that the lower court ignored vital evidence in the case.

Before his acquittal, Mukula filed an appeal challenging his conviction and a four-year sentence by the Chief Magistrate Irene Akankwasa.

He argued that the trial magistrate was biased in her judgment when she convicted him without  properly evaluating the evidence on record.

His lawyers argued that for charges of embezzlement to stand, a person must be an employee of government, servant, or public officer which Mukula was not.

In a closing submission the director of legal affairs Sydney Asubo from the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) asked the court to uphold the conviction and sentence.

Asubo said Mukula signed for the money, received it and only passed on sh54m to the office of the First Lady and did not account for sh210m.

Mukula was in January found guilty of embezzling sh210m from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).

A team of defense lawyers led by David Mpanga argued that ministers are political appointees and it was wrong for the magistrate to convict their client of embezzlement.

The lawyers argued that for charges of embezzlement to stand a person must be an employee of government, servant, or public officer, which Mukula was not.

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