Acquit Kazinda - Court assessor
May 29, 2013
A Court assessor has asked court to acquit Geoffrey Kazinda the interdicted principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
By Edward Anyoli
A Court assessor has asked court to acquit Geoffrey Kazinda the interdicted principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
Anthony Oumo, Wednesday who gave his opinion before Justice David Wangutusi of the Anti - Corruption Court , asked court to acquit Kazinda on grounds that the evidence adduced by the prosecution was not sufficient enough to convict him.
“My lord it is my humble prayer to advise this honourable court to acquit the accused of all the charges,” Oumo said.
The court may however decide to agree with an assessor’s opinion to acquit or convict the suspect.
Oumo said the documents the prosecution relied on as evidence were not recovered in Kazinda’s house. He said even the people who live in the house where the documents were allegedly recovered were never brought to testify as witnesses.
The assessor said there was no evidence to show that Kazinda while employed by the government in the office of the Prime Minister as a principal accountant did an arbitrary act prejudicial to his employer.
Kazinda is facing charges of abuse of office, forgery and making document without authority. It is alleged that Kazinda between November 2011 and May 2012 at UCB zone in Bukoto, being employed by the government as principal accountant did an arbitrary act, when he forged signature of Bigirimana the permanent secretary in the office of the Prime Minister.
Prosecution led by Paul Lakidi said that Kazinda being employed as Principal accountant in the Prime Minister office did an arbitrary act when he kept in a private residence computer generated letters and cash withdrawal authorisation forms bearing forged signature of Bigirimana , Kazinda denied the allegations.
Court will deliver the judgment on June 19.