Hoima mayor was warned over mast
Mar 22, 2011
THE former Hoima town clerk rejected plans for the allocation of the town council land to Warid telecom to build a mast, court heard on Wednesday.
By Edward Anyoli
THE former Hoima town clerk rejected plans for the allocation of the town council land to Warid telecom to build a mast, court heard on Wednesday.
Kenneth Alfred Kiiza was testifying in a case in which former Hoima mayor, Francis Atugonza, is accused of selling council land at sh60m to Warid Telecom.
Kiiza told the Anti-Corruption Court presided over by Justice Paul Mugamba that as the town clerk, he rejected the plan because it was not approved.
Kiiza told court that Atugonza said the plan should go on because it was a good development.
“We talked about the development; his (Atugonza) position was that we should support it,†Kiiza said.
He said efforts to stop Warid telecom from putting up the mast failed and the mast was later raised without the council approving the plan.
Atugonza is accused of selling council land situated at Rwentuha in Hoima district without the authority of the council between 2007 and 2008.
Prosecution led by principal state attorney Jane Okuo Kajuga said Atugonza sold council property and directly benefited from the proceeds of the sale. Atugonza, however, denies the charges.
A quorum of five justices from the Constitutional Court last week dismissed with costs Atugonza’s petition in which he had sought court’s decision to determine whether he could be tried under a repealed law.
Atugonza’s lawyer had argued that charging his client under the new Anti-Corruption Act with abuse of office was inconsistent with article 28(7) of the Constitution, yet the offence was allegedly committed between 2007 and 2008 before the Anti-Corruption Act came into force. The Act came into force in August 2009.
The case was adjourned to March 28.
THE former Hoima town clerk rejected plans for the allocation of the town council land to Warid telecom to build a mast, court heard on Wednesday.
Kenneth Alfred Kiiza was testifying in a case in which former Hoima mayor, Francis Atugonza, is accused of selling council land at sh60m to Warid Telecom.
Kiiza told the Anti-Corruption Court presided over by Justice Paul Mugamba that as the town clerk, he rejected the plan because it was not approved.
Kiiza told court that Atugonza said the plan should go on because it was a good development.
“We talked about the development; his (Atugonza) position was that we should support it,†Kiiza said.
He said efforts to stop Warid telecom from putting up the mast failed and the mast was later raised without the council approving the plan.
Atugonza is accused of selling council land situated at Rwentuha in Hoima district without the authority of the council between 2007 and 2008.
Prosecution led by principal state attorney Jane Okuo Kajuga said Atugonza sold council property and directly benefited from the proceeds of the sale. Atugonza, however, denies the charges.
A quorum of five justices from the Constitutional Court last week dismissed with costs Atugonza’s petition in which he had sought court’s decision to determine whether he could be tried under a repealed law.
Atugonza’s lawyer had argued that charging his client under the new Anti-Corruption Act with abuse of office was inconsistent with article 28(7) of the Constitution, yet the offence was allegedly committed between 2007 and 2008 before the Anti-Corruption Act came into force. The Act came into force in August 2009.
The case was adjourned to March 28.