Ex-NEMA official in court over expired barley

Mar 06, 2016

The accused are battling eight counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, uttering a false document, obtaining money by false pretense

Matia Mubangizi, the former NEMA environmental audit assistant is in court for allegedly disposing over 200 tonnes of hazardous wastes (expired barley) to an unauthorised site.

Mubangizi, 29, was jointly charged with Moses Bulega, 56, of City Juakali Traders Limited, Emmanuel Wangi, 40, the marketing manager City Juakali Traders Limited, and businessman Godfrey Ndikusoka, 58. Bulega and Wangi were charged in absentia.

The accused are battling eight counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, uttering a false document, obtaining money by false pretense, and transporting, storing and disposing hazardous waste onto a site which is unlicensed.

The accused denied the charges before Nakawa Court chief magistrate Joyce Kavuma last month.

Meanwhile, Mubangizi and Ndikusoka were granted a cash bail of sh500,000. The accused were represented by Lubega Abdullah and Deborah Takula.

The sureties who include Legacy Logistics' head of procurement audit Peter Ochen, Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) accountant Aventino Ariyo and Masen Ainunye were bonded at sh1m not cash.

According to court documents, the accused and others still at large in January 2014 at Kampala, conspired to transport hazardous waste (expired barley) without a license from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).

Prosecution led by Doreen Elima also alleges that in May 2014 the accused obtained sh31m from Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) purporting that it was for payment of trucks that transported expired barley and payment for the destruction costs whereas not.   

In 2014, the Environmental Police recovered 200 tonnes of toxic barley out of the 500 tonnes that were diverted from destruction back to the market.

The barley was part of the stock of raw materials for making beer at UBL but became spoilt. After recommendations from NEMA and UNBS, the brewing company hired a licensed transporter to destroy the waste at Nakasongola.

However, part of the barley ended up at Engano Millers' warehouse in Jinja Industrial Area without a license from NEMA. NEMA and UNBS were supposed to witness the destruction of the spoilt barley.

Prosecution further alleges that the accused in the same year conspired to transport, dispose, and store hazardous wastes onto a site which is unlicensed.

It is also alleged that Wangi on February 18, 2014 at Kampala forged a certificate of destruction serial No. 18/02.14 purporting to have been signed and issued by Luweero Industries Limited whereas not.

Wangi is also accused of fraudulently uttering a false document (certificate of destruction).

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