Four senior officials from Moyo District Local Government have been charged with abuse of office and causing financial loss of sh512.5m to the Government.

The officials include acting chief finance officer Alfred Adaku, principal human resource officer Bosco Madrara, senior human resource officer Natal Lulu and acting senior accountant Jane Clara Aserua.

A press statement signed on November 23, 2022, by the deputy Inspector General of Government Dr Patricia Achan Okiria, indicates that the accused were arrested on Tuesday and arraigned in court on November 23, 2022, to answer the charges.

Appearing before Anti-Corruption Court senior principal magistrate grade one Abert Asiimwe, the accused denied the charges, saying they did not commit the offences.

They are battling the charges under Section 20(I) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 as amended. The offence of causing financial loss attracts a maximum sentence of 14 years imprisonment on conviction, while abuse of office elicits a seven-year jail term.

However, the magistrate released the accused persons on bail after finding their sureties substantial. In order to get temporal freedom, the court directed Adaku to deposit in court sh3m while his co-accused sh2m each.

“The accused have presented substantial sureties in court to warrant their release on bail,” the magistrate ruled.

IG state prosecutor Ssennoga Mawano informed the court that investigations on the matter are incomplete and asked the court to adjourn the case to another date.

Offences

Prosecution alleges that Lulu, Madrara and Adaku during the Financial Year 2018/2019, in Moyo district, while performing their duties, negligently facilitated 23 staff to be irregularly paid salary arrears, knowing or having reason to believe that their acts would cause loss of sh244m to government.

According to IG, the accused persons allegedly committed the offence in abuse of the authority of their respective offices, to the prejudice of their employer (the Government).

Lulu, Madrara and Aserua are also accused of negligently placing 24 staff on Moyo District Local Government payroll during the Financial Year 2020/2021, leading to a sh268m loss to the Government.