Kazinda’s jail term ends before appeal is heard

Kampala. Jailed former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Geoffrey Kazinda has completed the five-year jail sentence before his appeal against the conviction has been heard.

In 2013, Justice David Wangutusi of the Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Kazinda to five years in prison for abuse of office, two years for forgery and another two years for unlawful possession of government stores. The sentences were to run concurrently.

He appealed in the Court of Appeal. When his appeal came up for hearing yesterday, the court’s assistant registrar, Mr Ayebare Tumwebaze, told him that one of the justices in his appeal was not present.

He asked Kazinda and the prosecution to file their written submissions by end of this month before he adjourned the case.
“One of the justices is not around. Instead of adjourning the case to next year, the Director of Public Prosecutions should file written submissions in court on October 24 and serve Kazinda in Luzira Upper Prison and the rejoinder should be filed on October 26,” Mr Tumwebaze said.

Separate cases
Kazinda is supposed to be out of jail by now having served out his five-year sentence. However, he is still in Luzira on conviction in a separate corruption-related case.

In the same Anti Corruption Court, Kazinda was sentenced to five years in jail for defrauding government of Shs316m when he was still principal accountant in the OPM.

He appealed against the judgment but the appeal also has not been heard. The hearing has been fixed for November 5.
Kazinda is also still facing other corruption-related cases in court which include illicit enrichment of Shs4.6b.

He has other 69 corruption charges where he is accused of stealing more than Shs5.4b meant for post-war reconstruction in northern Uganda and Karamoja sub-regions under the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan.

[email protected]