State moves to auction Lwamafa, Obey property

KAMPALA- The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Mike Chibita, has commenced the recovery process of Shs50 billion pension cash that the Anti Corruption Court ordered three former top officials of Public Service ministry to refund to government.

In his December 5 letter addressed to the Deputy Registrar Court of Appeal, Mr Chibita contends that since they have not received any orders stopping them from recovering the money from former Public Service permanent secretary Jimmy Lwamafa, its high time they commenced the recovery process.

Subsequently, the chief government prosecutor has invoked Rule 6 (2) of the Judicature, Court of Appeal Rules to have the convicts file transferred to the Executions Division of the High Court to commence the recovery process.

“Upon their conviction, the appellants were ordered to jointly pay compensation of Shs50b to government, subsequently, the

to refund the Shs50b to government,” reads the DPP’s letter in part.

The other convicts currently serving their respective jail terms at Luzira prison include; Mr Christopher Obey, the former principal accountant in the pensions department and Mr Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa, former director Research and Development in the same ministry.

Background
On November 11, Anti-Corruption Court Judge Lawrence Gidudu convicted the three officials for misappropriating Shs88.2b pension money.
The prosecution said the same money ended up being paid to ghost pensioners, causing the government a financial loss.

Justice Gidudu in his verdict observed that the fraud was hatched in the Public Service ministry, smoothened in Finance ministry and executed in Cairo Bank, where the money

Muhakanizi cleared me, Obey tells court

The former principal accountant in the Ministry of Public Service, Mr Christopher Obey, yesterday put up a spirited defence and wondered why he is in the dock battling several corruption charges yet the secretary to the Treasury, Mr Keith Muhakanizi, had clarified on the questioned Shs88.2b pension cash that landed him and others in trouble

In evoking the provisions of the Constitution, Justice Gidudu went on to order the three convicts found guilty of syndicate corruption to jointly refund Shs50b, meaning each of the convict is to pay about Shs16b.

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But being dissatisfied with the whole judgment of Justice Gidudu, the trio have since appealed to the Court of Appeal, which appeal is still pending hearing.

Justice Gidudu sentenced Lwamafa, Obey and Kunsa to seven, 10 and five years, respectively, basing on each one’s level of criminality.

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