COVID-19 food scam: Top OPM officials released on bail despite state objection
What you need to know:
- The four officials were first arraigned in court on April 14 on accusations of colluding to commit a fraudulent act in regard to inflating prices of COVID-19 food stuffs under the Public Procurement and Disposal Assets Act.
Court has ordered for the release of four top officials in the Office of the Prime Minister pending trial over alleged fraudulent practices in connection with the procurement of relief food for COVID-19 affected people.
The Magistrate’s Court at Buganda Road presided over by Grade One magistrate, Doreen Karungi ordered prison authorities at Kigo Women and Kitalya to release the four accused persons after spending more than two weeks on remand.
The suspects are the Permanent Secretary, Ms Christine Guwatudde Kintu, Mr Joel Wanjala (Under Secretary and accounting officer), Mr Martin Owor, the head of the Covid 19 food relief procurement and also the commissioner disaster preparedness and Mr Fred Lutimba, the assistant commissioner in charge of procurement.
Ms Karungi observed that the accused persons satisfied court on bail condition and as such should be released.
“The accused persons have a right to bail, they are presumed innocent until proved guilty and their sureties are substantial. It is speculative for the state to assert that the applicants will interfere with the witnesses,” Ms Karungi held.
She ordered the each of the accused person to deposit Shs3 million while their sureties were each bonded at Shs20 million not cash.
Three of the suspects who were recently sent to remand in Kitalya prison appearing before Buganda Road Court grade one magistrate on May 4, 2020 via video link. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
The court ordered the accused persons to deposit their passports in court on June 4 when the matter comes up for mention.
The accused persons while appearing by way of video conferencing technology applied bail through their lawyers, Macdosman Kabega, Fred Muwema, Medard Ssegona, Evans Ochieng, and Joseph Kyazze.
The state was represented by Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Ms Josephine Namatovu whose attempts to block their bail application failed.
The four officials were first arraigned in court on April 14 on accusations of colluding to commit a fraudulent act in regard to inflating prices of COVID-19 food stuffs under the Public Procurement and Disposal Assets Act.
Prosecution case
Prosecution alleges that between March 31 and April 8 this year at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kampala, Ms Guwatudde, Mr Wanjala, Mr Owor and Mr Lutimba in their respective positions conspired to commit a fraudulent act during the procurement of food relief items for COVID-19 by inflating prices from those offered by the suppliers.
