Court dismisses Tinkasimire case
Oct 23, 2008
A criminal case against Buyaga county MP Barnabas Tinkasimire, who had been charged with embezzlement of over sh12m, was dismissed on Wednesday.
By Moses Nampala
in Tororo
A criminal case against Buyaga county MP Barnabas Tinkasimire, who had been charged with embezzlement of over sh12m, was dismissed on Wednesday.
Tinkasimire had also been charged with abuse of office and causing financial loss to Tororo district, where he worked as the assistant chief administrative officer in charge of Malaba town council.
Tororo Chief Magistrate Pruff Rutakirwa dismissed the case on account of insufficient evidence to merit a prosecution.
Prosecution presented 12 witnesses.
“However, no credible evidence to pin the accused person was adduced. Besides, the State counsel failed to close his case as he was pronounced absent whenever the matter came for further hearing,†he said.
“I have evaluated the evidence on record and found it not only too inconsistent but also insufficient. The accused has no case to answer. This court hereby dismisses the case.â€
The Inspector General of Government (IGG) had sanctioned Tinkasimire’s arrest on July 18, 2007.
Tinkasimire told The New Vision after the ruling that although he had gone through a humiliating period when he was arrested over the matter, he had no ill feelings against the IGG.
“My appeal to the IGG is not to fear legislators and ministers implicated in scams. Let her take issues with them and let the whole truth come out. Some of us are ready to back her in the efforts to fight corruption,†he said.
Prosecution alleged that Tinkasimire received sh6.3m in May 2006, which he claimed was to hold a workshop for teachers at Linkway Hotel in Tororo.
He was also accused of having received another sh6m, which he allegedly claimed was to conduct another workshop that did not take place.
in Tororo
A criminal case against Buyaga county MP Barnabas Tinkasimire, who had been charged with embezzlement of over sh12m, was dismissed on Wednesday.
Tinkasimire had also been charged with abuse of office and causing financial loss to Tororo district, where he worked as the assistant chief administrative officer in charge of Malaba town council.
Tororo Chief Magistrate Pruff Rutakirwa dismissed the case on account of insufficient evidence to merit a prosecution.
Prosecution presented 12 witnesses.
“However, no credible evidence to pin the accused person was adduced. Besides, the State counsel failed to close his case as he was pronounced absent whenever the matter came for further hearing,†he said.
“I have evaluated the evidence on record and found it not only too inconsistent but also insufficient. The accused has no case to answer. This court hereby dismisses the case.â€
The Inspector General of Government (IGG) had sanctioned Tinkasimire’s arrest on July 18, 2007.
Tinkasimire told The New Vision after the ruling that although he had gone through a humiliating period when he was arrested over the matter, he had no ill feelings against the IGG.
“My appeal to the IGG is not to fear legislators and ministers implicated in scams. Let her take issues with them and let the whole truth come out. Some of us are ready to back her in the efforts to fight corruption,†he said.
Prosecution alleged that Tinkasimire received sh6.3m in May 2006, which he claimed was to hold a workshop for teachers at Linkway Hotel in Tororo.
He was also accused of having received another sh6m, which he allegedly claimed was to conduct another workshop that did not take place.