Former foreign affairs official jailed 15 years for graft
Mar 06, 2011
SARAH Bireete, a former foreign affairs ministry official,has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for embezzling sh223m meant for the Great Lakes Region Conference in 2009.
By Edward Anyoli and
Anne Mugisa
SARAH Bireete, a former foreign affairs ministry official,has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for embezzling sh223m meant for the Great Lakes Region Conference in 2009.
Bireete will serve five years for abuse of office and 10 years for embezzlement.
On the Thursday ,the anti-corruption court presided over by Justice John Bosco Katutsi further directed that Bireete be disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years. The judge said in addition, upon completion of her sentence she should refund $70,160 (about sh165,000) to the Government.
“In your case the methods you used, as I have said before earn you a front seat among the grand spiders at the centre of the cartel of corruption.
“Now the time of reckoning has come, you must pay the price of your inequities and ought not to be heard to grumble,†Justice Katutsi said.
On passing the sentence, Katutsi noted that corruption has become rampant adding that a message should be sent to those who intend to put dirty hands into government funds.
He said prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bireete embezzled the money the property of Government that came into her possession by virtue of her employment
“All the evidence on record points out to the accused as one who was solely instrumental in having a sum of US$144,160 deposited on account number 0010172403 operated by Great Lakes Youth League,†Katutsi said.
Court further heard that Bireete deposited $144,160 on an account 0010172403 operated by her sister Mariam Kyomugasho. Kyomugasho was not cross examined.
State attorney Lillian Omara, asked for stringent terms of sentence and asked court to order Bireete to refund the money to the ministry.
Anthony Ahimbisibwe, Bireete’s lawyer asked court to give her a lenient sentence because she is a mother of three children and a bread winner for her family.
Anne Mugisa
SARAH Bireete, a former foreign affairs ministry official,has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for embezzling sh223m meant for the Great Lakes Region Conference in 2009.
Bireete will serve five years for abuse of office and 10 years for embezzlement.
On the Thursday ,the anti-corruption court presided over by Justice John Bosco Katutsi further directed that Bireete be disqualified from holding any public office for 10 years. The judge said in addition, upon completion of her sentence she should refund $70,160 (about sh165,000) to the Government.
“In your case the methods you used, as I have said before earn you a front seat among the grand spiders at the centre of the cartel of corruption.
“Now the time of reckoning has come, you must pay the price of your inequities and ought not to be heard to grumble,†Justice Katutsi said.
On passing the sentence, Katutsi noted that corruption has become rampant adding that a message should be sent to those who intend to put dirty hands into government funds.
He said prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Bireete embezzled the money the property of Government that came into her possession by virtue of her employment
“All the evidence on record points out to the accused as one who was solely instrumental in having a sum of US$144,160 deposited on account number 0010172403 operated by Great Lakes Youth League,†Katutsi said.
Court further heard that Bireete deposited $144,160 on an account 0010172403 operated by her sister Mariam Kyomugasho. Kyomugasho was not cross examined.
State attorney Lillian Omara, asked for stringent terms of sentence and asked court to order Bireete to refund the money to the ministry.
Anthony Ahimbisibwe, Bireete’s lawyer asked court to give her a lenient sentence because she is a mother of three children and a bread winner for her family.