The office of the IGG has charged Seven officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with 12 counts including abuse of office and embezzlement of public funds in a fresh scandal involving financial loss of more than UGX5BN.
The seven officials including two undersecretaries Sseremba Geofrey and Masigazi Deogratious, Senior Assistant Secretaries Abaho Joshua and Ofungi Samuel, Principal Assistant Secretary Asasira Barbara, Assistant Commissioner Programmes Emmy Tonny Ameny, and Programmes officer Omodoi Peter, were today arrested under the instructions of the IGG and are currently heading to the Anti-corruption court to answer charges on 12 counts.
According to the charge sheet signed by Brenda Kimbugwe the Manager Prosecutions at IGG’s office, the seven are charged in count one for causing financial loss contrary to Section 20 of the Anti-corruption Act 2009 (as amended).
Between February and June 2022, it is alleged that Sseremba Godfrey and Masigazi Deogratias while performing their duties as accounting officers and Head of Department respectively in the OPM, approved a total cash payment of 4,497,132,000 to various staff within OPM without any proper workplan nor genuine activity to be carried out while knowing or having reason to believe that their acts would cause financial loss.
Indeed, according to the charge sheet, their actions caused a loss of UGX3,347,491,000 (Three Billion, three hundred and forty seven million, four hundred ninety one thousand shillings to the OPM.
During the same period, it is alleged that Abaho Joshua while employed as senior assistant secretary OPM stole UGX2,473,154,000 (approx 2.5BN) advanced to him for coordinating various peace building initiatives in Karamoja region to which he had access of his office.
Abaho, according to the charge sheet, failed to account for the above amount, an arbitrary act prejudicial to the interest of the OPM. He will be charged with embezzlement and abuse of office contrary to Sections 11(1) and (2) of the Anti-corruption Act 2009.
The four others; Asasira Barbara (538 million), Emmy Tony Ameny 225 million), Amodoi Peter 100 million, Ofungi Samuel 69 million, have been charged with embezzlement and abuse of office for stealing public funds.