DPP cancels corruption charges against Jinja councilor

The Director of Public Prosecution Jane Frances Abodo has discontinued charges of corruption and accepting gratification against the Jinja City councilor.

In her withdraw form to the trial magistrate of the Anti corruption court Moses Nabende, Abodo discontinued the two counts against Bernard Mbayo, the Jinja Central west parish councilor.

Whereas the State Prosecutor into the matter, Harriet Angom had told court that investigations were complete and prayed that court fixes a hearing date, the DPP opted to withdraw the charges against Mbayo without giving reasons.

The 45-year-old father of four is said to have extorted sh500,000 from a security personnel on October 31, 2019 before he could develop his land for a hotel facility along Narambhai road on plot 16 in Jinja City.

Further, that Mbayo allegedly accepted the sh500, 000, a gratification, in exchange for authorization to commence developments on his plot which said to have purchased at sh500m in August 2019.

However, in her one page letter dated July 3, 2020 which was copied to the Resident State Attorney of the Anti corruption court and the regional CID officer of Kampala metropolitan police south region, Abodo said she decided to discontinue proceedings against Mbayo.

"This is to inform court that the Director of Public Prosecution has decided to discontinue proceedings against Mbayo Bernard charged with count (1) corruption contrary to section 2 (a) and section 26 of the Anti-corruption Act 2009 and count (2) of accepting gratification contrary to section 2 (a) and 26 of the Anti-corruption Act 2009," reads the one paragraph letter.

According to the withdraw form, it indicates the court case as number Co-164-2019 while the DPP number was ACD-Co-55-2019 and the police case number was Jinja CRB 859-2019.

Mbayo who secured a court bail of sh1m in cash was being represented by his lawyer, Timothy Isiko and his travel documents had been retained by court after noticing that he was a regular traveler overseas.

When contacted, Mbayo thanked the complainant who was the principal witness in the alleged corruption for realizing that this was a political set up by those who presume that Jinja belongs to them.

"Some people kept insisting that I wouldn't escape for denying their camp land situated on plot 24 Kyabazinga way and o realizing that there was foul play, the complainant lost interest in the case and the office of the DPP had to drop the charges, all these offices saw the joke quickly enough," he said.

Mbayo said he had not yet found time to collect his document and money but he instructed his lawyer to write to court before picking them. =ENDS=