Court to deliver verdict in Apac DLG sh338m fraud case

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The Nakasero-based Anti-Corruption Court is set to deliver its verdict in a case involving former Apac district local government (DLG) officials accused of mismanaging shillings 338 million allocated for district development.

Earlier in July, the chambers of Acting Principal Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga, who has been presiding over the case, issued a notice informing all parties that judgment would be delivered today (July 31, 2025). The communication was sent to the lawyers, accused persons, and the court assessor to notify them of the scheduled judgment.

The accused are: then-chief administrative officer Michael Wanje, then-chief finance officer Paul Ekwang, then-acting district education officer Sam Atim, then-senior account officer Patrick Ebong and Tom Adoko, the then-human resource officer.

Three of the five accused, Adoko, Ekwang and Ebong, were separately charged with the offence of money laundering under Section (3) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

It is alleged that the money was sent to different accounts under the guise that it was domestic arrears and that the beneficiaries had requisitioned the money, whereas not.

Prosecution’s case

The prosecution alleges that the five accused respectively and irregularly processed payments as domestic arrears for district employees without proper procedures in 2021 while still employees of Apac local government, causing a loss of shillings 338 million.

According to the prosecution, Adoko, as a human resource officer, allegedly assisted Wanje, Ekwang, Atim and Ebong to benefit from the funds that were irregularly credited to the district officials accounts as arrears.

It is alleged that Adoko mobilised the officials to withdraw the funds.

Prosecution argues that Ekwang received shillings 134 million that was irregularly deposited into the accounts of five people as salary arrears, yet he knew that at the time he received the money between July 1 and 2, 2021, it was proceeds of crime.

Ekwang is alleged to have received money withdrawn from the accounts of Bernard Okidi, Nelson Opeto, Moses Ongol, Patrick Ocura and Darius.

A court document indicates that Ekwang allegedly received sh35m from Okidi, sh16m from Opeto, sh34million from Ongol and shillings 32 million from Ocura.

Prosecution further alleges that Ebong, as a senior accounts officer, acquired a total of shillings 55 million from a one Eunice Achola and Betty Kabagaya, yet he knew that the money was proceeds of crime that was fraudulently deposited into Achola and Kabagaya accounts.

It is purported that from Achola’s account, Ebong received shillings 35 million on July 7, 2021 and shillings 20 million from Kabagaya’s account.

What the law says

According to Section (20) of the Anti- Corruption Act, a person who does or fails to do any act knowing or having reason to believe that the act or omission will cause financial loss to the government, bank credit institution, insurance company or public body commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 336 currency points( a currency point is an equivalent of 20,000)  (shillings 6.7 million) or a term of imprisonment to exceeding 14 years.

Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act states that any person convicted of the offence of money laundering is liable to 15 years’ imprisonment or a fine not exceeding shillings two billion.

Section 309 of the Penal Code Act stipulates that a person who conspires with another to commit an offence of conspiracy to defraud is liable on conviction to five years in jail. They denied the charges and are currently out on bail.