Kamwenge District Engineer Remanded

Kamwenge district engineer Julius Ssentamu and his accounts assistant Pascal Byaruhanga Akuhe have been remanded on charges of embezzlement, forgery and causing financial loss to the district.The Fort portal Grade One Magistrate J. Bangirana told the accused not to enter plea because the charges against them were above his jurisdiction. The two reportedly forged district chief finance officer J. Kisembo’s stamp and signature and that of the chief administrative officer, James Nkata, with the aim of stealing money.Ssentamu and Byaruhanga allegedly connived with or used Pastor Begumisa, the district mechanic, to cash a cheque on which they had used the aforesaid forgeries.The cheque was banked in the Uganda Commercial Bank Limited (UCBL), Ibanda branch on May 21 and cashed on May 22.The accused allegedly fleeced the district of sh1.5m.The money was purported to have been payments for repairs done on the district administration vehicles and other rehabilitation work.Ends