UGANDA, Fort Portal | Real Muloodi News | The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) led by Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, in cooperation with the Uganda Police Force, has arrested seven public officials from Fort Portal City and Kabalole District Local Government for alleged corruption, selling off public land, and financial mismanagement.
They are charged with allegedly selling council-owned public land in Fort Portal City fraudulently while knowing that it had been set aside as a green belt.
Abasi Balinda, a businessman, purchased five plots of land along Millane Road in Kabundaire, while Steven Isabalija purchased Nyakimya land in the same city.
Five Fort Portal City and Kabarole District land official suspects were detained on September 28, 2022, according to a SHACU press statement released on Friday 30th September.
These individuals represented the Area Land Committee of Fort Portal’s previous West Division, which later changed its name to Central Division and eventually became Fort Portal City.
The suspects include David Baguma Mwesige-the former Area Land Committee Chairperson of West Division, Samuel Musana-a Senior Physical Planner and Simon Peter Kugonza-the District Staff Surveyor.
Others are Sumini Nansubuga-the Senior Staff Surveyor Kabarole Ministry Zonal Office (MZO) and Jessy Smart Bwango-the Kabarole Secretary District Land Board.
The area lies within the protected limits of the river and should not be occupied, but the land officials allegedly granted Balinda’s application without scrutiny.
The District Staff Surveyor and Senior Staff Surveyor of the Ministry Zonal Office did not double-check the application to find the mistakes and omissions made by the younger employees.
The Secretary District Land Board was also charged with neglecting to point up the inconsistencies in the paperwork Balinda produced, which purported to show that he does not own the land but was fraudulent.
According to Wycliffe Mukama, a detective at Fort Portal police station, the investigation into more fraudulent land purchases in the city, is still underway.
According to Fort Portal City Mayor Asaba Edson Ruyonga, a letter directing the Ministry of Lands to promptly annul all the titles that people fraudulently acquired has been sent.
Richard Alituha, the Kabalore Principle Education Officer, and Annet Kirungi, the former Head of Finance, were also arrested by SHACU investigators on Friday.
They were accused of mismanaging more than USh180 million in capitation grants for Fort Portal City schools and tertiary institutions for the Financial Year 2021–2022.
Gerald Mugenyi, a Senior Accounts Assistant, and Moses Tibihika Theophiccus, an accounting officer, are two further suspects in the same case who are still at large.
There is still a search going on for the missing suspects.
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