MP Otukol, two others face sentencing over sh154m theft

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Pallisa County MP Sam Otukol, former Butebo district local government chief finance officer Sale Idhi, and Mukono district businessman Ezekiel Osire are set to be sentenced after being convicted of stealing sh154m.

The sentencing set for Tuesday, September 2, 2025, follows Justice Michael Elubu of the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Kampala overturning a lower court judgment that had acquitted the trio.

Immediately after the ruling on August 28, 2025, Idhi and Osire were arrested and taken to Luzira Prison, while a warrant of arrest was issued against Otukol to ensure he appears for sentencing.

“All three were part of a scheme to achieve a common purpose. Each of them acted in concert to steal government funds,” Elubu said.

The judge convicted the trio of theft and conspiracy to defraud, ruling that the prosecution had adduced incriminating evidence against them. Theft carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, while conspiracy to defraud attracts up to three years in prison.

According to court documents, Samix Uganda Limited received sh94.4m; Zedkol Financial Services Uganda Limited, sh33.9m; Ligation International Uganda Limited, sh26.1m; and Otap Limited, sh21.4m.

Otukol and Osire are shareholders in Samix, Zedkol and Ligation, while Charles Dominic Ongom, a former finance ministry accountant, is a shareholder in Otap.

The judge observed that Butebo district did not approve the transfer of the money, nor did it benefit from it.

In 2021, Ongom pleaded guilty to three counts of abuse of office and was later turned into a prosecution witness.

Court records show that Otukol approached Ongom, who gave the companies supplier numbers, allowing them to be included on the payroll through the Integrated Financial Management System. Otukol had promised to pay Ongom through Otap Limited.

The companies were reportedly hidden within staff payment batches to avoid detection. Elubu said Otukol and Osire knew they had received money to which they had no rightful claim, adding that they quickly began withdrawals once funds were deposited.

The court heard that Otukol withdrew sh15m within two days, while Osire withdrew sh10m. On June 15, 2019, Otukol withdrew another sh15m.

“This pattern of withdrawal continued up to September 30, 2019, when the balance remained at sh62,000,” Elubu noted.

Idhi, meanwhile, was found to have irregularly initiated and authorised payments, knowing that his actions would cause financial loss to Butebo district.

“He was required to ensure value for money by ascertaining that only the correct or legitimate beneficiaries were paid. This role did not require him to manipulate the Integrated Financial Management System, but simply to query it,” Elubu said.