Lyatonde Magistrate jailed for 3 years over sh1m bribe

By Betty Amamukirori

The grade II magistrate at Lyatonde and Kyazanga magistrate’s court, Stephen Karakire, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment for soliciting and receiving a sh1m bribe.

The Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate, Sarah Langa Siu, said Karakire solicited and received the bribe from a one George Taremwa as an inducement to delay issuance of his (Taremwa’s) arrest warrant.

Taremwa was by then facing charges of obtaining sh600,000 credit by false pretense from Prossy Nakawesi and failed to pay as per their agreement. Karakire was presiding over the case.

According to the judgment, on November 15, 2011, Taremwa received the criminal summons to appear in court and answer to the charges.

He then tried to negotiate with Nakawesi , but all seemed fruitless since she was insisting on a payment of sh2m that he could not afford. It was then that Taremwa sought for help from the magistrate.

While at Karakire’s home in Masaka district, the convict asked for sh1m in order to delay the case and give him (Taremwa) enough time to settle all his debts.

Taremwa tried to negotiate for a lower amount, but the magistrate advised him to sell his father’s cattle and raise the sh1m or face arrest.

When he realized that he could not raise the sh1m, Taremwa went to the District Police Commander (DPC) who had earlier tried to settle the matter between him and Nakawesi.

The DPC advised him to report the matter to the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) in Masaka.

At the IGG’s office, a plan was hatched to trap Karakire.

The officer recorded all the serial numbers of the cash to be used and gave it to Taremwa to deliver it to him.

Taremwa delivered the trap cash to Karakire on November 17, 2011, in his office.

He then moved out and phoned the investigating officer who stormed the convict’s office, made a search and found the money in his shirt pocket.

Karakire was arrested and charged with two counts of corruptly soliciting for and receiving a gratification.

Karakire who represented himself in court denied the allegations and instead accused Taremwa of stealing his cattle, something court saw as a “blatant lie and unreasonable”.

Court ruled that prosecution, led by Brenda Kimbugwe, had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Karakire was guilty of the offense, after it adduced testimony from five witnesses.

During sentencing on August 21, Langa said: “I do concur with the prosecution that offenses of this nature are rampant and hence the need for courts like this one to send out a clear signal that there is a price to pay for every act of corruption.”

She sentenced him to three years in prison on each count to be served concurrently.

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