17 officers charged over sh1b swindle
Jan 16, 2004
SEVENTEEN UPDF officers have been court martialled for allegedly swindling more than a billion shillings.
By Solomon Muyita and Alfred Wasike
SEVENTEEN UPDF officers have been court martialled for allegedly swindling more than a billion shillings.
The money was meant for salaries, recruitment of soldiers and other UPDF operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Uganda.
They also allegedly paid over 700 non-existent soldiers after inflating the payroll.
Caged in the dock, were Col. Poteli Kivuna, the former Second Division Commander and Sgt. Bernard Turyamushanga, the former Division officer in charge of bills, accused of diverting sh500m meant for recruitment of UPDF soldiers in western Uganda in 2003.
Lt. Kenneth Ayebale, the former military assistant to former Army Commander, Maj. Gen. James Kazini appeared jointly with Lt. Col. Dura Mawa Muhindo, the Division's former 507 Brigade commander and Capt. Michael Baryaguma charged with inflating the army's payroll with 468 ghosts.
The trio face charges of abuse of office andconspiracy to defraud the Government of sh64m, forgery of the list with the ghost soldiers and subsequently uttering it to the director of finance (DOF) office at Bombo, "with intent to defraud." The former DOF, Maj. Robert Nsabiyunva, was charged with fraudulently processing payment of sh34m for a group of 238 ghost soldiers in November 2001.
Also in the dock were Capt. Erisa N. Masinde, formerly the administrative officer of the Reserve Forces in Eastern Uganda and WOII Cyril Butosho, the Reserve paymaster, accused of swindling sh306m, which was a balance on payments of support soldiers in Northern Uganda.
Col. Andrew Guti, former 4th Division Commander in Gulu, Col. Mark Kodili, the former chief of personnel and administration, Maj. James Ongia, formerly finance officer in 2nd Division and Maj. Julius Bakirana, former army head of verification, were also charged with various offences.
Kivuna was separately charged with embezzling sh40m meant for operations in the DRC between October and November 2002 and failure to ascertain the strength of soldiers in the 2nd Division between March 2002 and November 2003.
The General Court Martial presided over by Lt. Gen. Elly Tumwine heard that Kivuna, Muhindo and Capt. Romeo Ndyabagye, a former 2nd Division intelligence officer misappropriated sh48m being balances from soldiers' salaries in Mbarara and Kasese between October 2002 and July 2003.
Kodili allegedly disobeyed the Commander-in-Chief between March 2002 and October 2003 by transferring militants while he had been stopped.
Col. Guti, who was based in Gulu allegedly, swindled sh30m meant for UPDF support forces in northern Uganda between April 2002 and May 2003. He denied the charges. Court heard that Guti neglected his duties between May and November 2003 when he failed to ascertain the strength of the Anti Stock Theft Unit in Moroto.
Mawa allegedly teamed up with Capt. Cosmas Elyodo, the 507 Brigade administrative officer to divert sh70m meant for soldiers' salaries. Lt. Col. Matia Temera, formerly director of personnel allegedly obtained sh1.5m from Nakasongola. Lt. Col. David Karuhanga, formerly in-charge of training and operations, allegedly diverted sh3.9m meant for salaries. Maj. Ongia allegedly failed to manage accounts in the Division. All were granted bail and the cases adjourned till March.
Ends
SEVENTEEN UPDF officers have been court martialled for allegedly swindling more than a billion shillings.
The money was meant for salaries, recruitment of soldiers and other UPDF operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Uganda.
They also allegedly paid over 700 non-existent soldiers after inflating the payroll.
Caged in the dock, were Col. Poteli Kivuna, the former Second Division Commander and Sgt. Bernard Turyamushanga, the former Division officer in charge of bills, accused of diverting sh500m meant for recruitment of UPDF soldiers in western Uganda in 2003.
Lt. Kenneth Ayebale, the former military assistant to former Army Commander, Maj. Gen. James Kazini appeared jointly with Lt. Col. Dura Mawa Muhindo, the Division's former 507 Brigade commander and Capt. Michael Baryaguma charged with inflating the army's payroll with 468 ghosts.
The trio face charges of abuse of office andconspiracy to defraud the Government of sh64m, forgery of the list with the ghost soldiers and subsequently uttering it to the director of finance (DOF) office at Bombo, "with intent to defraud." The former DOF, Maj. Robert Nsabiyunva, was charged with fraudulently processing payment of sh34m for a group of 238 ghost soldiers in November 2001.
Also in the dock were Capt. Erisa N. Masinde, formerly the administrative officer of the Reserve Forces in Eastern Uganda and WOII Cyril Butosho, the Reserve paymaster, accused of swindling sh306m, which was a balance on payments of support soldiers in Northern Uganda.
Col. Andrew Guti, former 4th Division Commander in Gulu, Col. Mark Kodili, the former chief of personnel and administration, Maj. James Ongia, formerly finance officer in 2nd Division and Maj. Julius Bakirana, former army head of verification, were also charged with various offences.
Kivuna was separately charged with embezzling sh40m meant for operations in the DRC between October and November 2002 and failure to ascertain the strength of soldiers in the 2nd Division between March 2002 and November 2003.
The General Court Martial presided over by Lt. Gen. Elly Tumwine heard that Kivuna, Muhindo and Capt. Romeo Ndyabagye, a former 2nd Division intelligence officer misappropriated sh48m being balances from soldiers' salaries in Mbarara and Kasese between October 2002 and July 2003.
Kodili allegedly disobeyed the Commander-in-Chief between March 2002 and October 2003 by transferring militants while he had been stopped.
Col. Guti, who was based in Gulu allegedly, swindled sh30m meant for UPDF support forces in northern Uganda between April 2002 and May 2003. He denied the charges. Court heard that Guti neglected his duties between May and November 2003 when he failed to ascertain the strength of the Anti Stock Theft Unit in Moroto.
Mawa allegedly teamed up with Capt. Cosmas Elyodo, the 507 Brigade administrative officer to divert sh70m meant for soldiers' salaries. Lt. Col. Matia Temera, formerly director of personnel allegedly obtained sh1.5m from Nakasongola. Lt. Col. David Karuhanga, formerly in-charge of training and operations, allegedly diverted sh3.9m meant for salaries. Maj. Ongia allegedly failed to manage accounts in the Division. All were granted bail and the cases adjourned till March.
Ends