Anti- Corruption Court quashes Kazinda’s appeal against fresh trials
Jailed former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister, Geoffrey Kazinda at the anti-corruption court in Kololo PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
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Justice Margaret Tibulya dismissed the application and said the same matter had already been ruled upon in the Constitutional Court.
KAMPALA- The Anti-Corruption Court has dismissed an application in which jailed former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister Geoffrey Kazinda wanted his trial to be suspended until the Constitutional Court ruled on whether he should be retried on the same charges.
Justice Margaret Tibulya dismissed the application and said the same matter had already been ruled upon in the Constitutional Court.
Kazinda is on trial on 69 corruption charges in relation to money meant for rehabilitation of the conflict- ravaged northern Uganda and Karamoja.
Kazinda was seeking a constitutional interpretation of his trial, saying the facts, evidence and the Auditor General’s report that were going to be used in prosecuting him had already been used in the previous trial and that it would be a double punishment against him.
“The Constitutional Court has already pronounced itself on the same matter as distinguished. I see no evidence that this interpretation is required. The offences where done on different dates,” Justice Tibulya ruled.
Kazinda is charged along with former Finance ministry officials: Wilbert Okello (principal system analyst), David Mugisha (senior economist) and Bright Atwine (senior account).
The 69 offences against Kazinda relate to the misappropriation of more than Shs5.4 billion meant for post-war reconstruction in northern Uganda and Karamoja sub-regions under the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP).
The new offences brought against Kazinda include causing financial loss, forgery, abuse of office and criminal conspiracy.
Evidence
Senior Principal State Attorney Vincent Wagona had earlier informed court that evidence shows that many security papers used to transfer the money from the PRDP account in Bank of Uganda to the Crisis Management Account, had forged signatures of the accounting officer, Mr Pius Bigirimana, but with genuine signatures of Kazinda.
The case was adjourned to September 5 to set the hearing date.
