Former Parliament budget boss found guilty of corruption

KAMPALA- Interdicted Director Parliamentary Budget Office head, Samuel Wanyaka has been found guilty of embezzling over Shs822 million that was meant to carry out service delivery surveys in the country.

The head of the Anti Corruption Court, Justice Paul Mugamba found Wanyaka guilty of all the three charges of embezzlement, abuse of office and false accounting.

Justice Mugamba’s ruling differed from earlier joint advise of two court assessors who had advised him to acquit Wanyaka.

The judge reserved the passing of his sentence to Wednesday next week. Wanyaka’s bail automatically collapsed and he was sent to Luzira Prison until Wednesday, when he will be reproduced in court to hear the verdict.

Wanyaka now faces up to 14 years in jail for the charge of embezzlement, up to seven years for abuse of office and up to three years for false accounting.

Mr Thomas Okoth, a prosecutor from the office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) asked court to hand Wanyaka maximum sentences in all the three counts as provided for by the law.

He also asked court to order Wanyaka refund all the money (over Shs822 million) that he embezzled plus barring him from working with any government institution for the next ten years.

While convicting Wanyaka of the charge of embezzlement, Justice Mugamba observed that he received the money in question but never put it to its proper use.

Justice Mugamba held that fictitious accountability was done by Wanyaka as a cover up for the unaccounted money and that the same ended up onto his Stanbic Bank account located at Forest Mall Lugogo, Kampala.

“The accused (Wanyaka) fraudulently converted the money for his own use. For the reasons I have given above, I convict the accused on the charge of embezzlement,” Justice Mugamba said.

On count two of abuse of office, the judge in his analysis, observed that Wanyaka was entrusted with public funds that needed accountability but he never accounted for the same.

On the last count of false accounting by a public officer, the judge said it was the accused who requisitioned for the funds in question and that there was evidence that he is the one who furnished false accountability to cover up for his acts.
“I part from the company of two court assessors and I convict the accused on all the three counts charged,” Justice Mugamba ruled.

The charge sheet stated Mr Wanyaka committed the three offenses between August 13 and December 9, 2013.

The money in question was meant for service delivery surveys in the country.
The IGG had told court that Mr Wanyaka knowingly, made false returns for the Shs822 million.

Mr Wanyaka’s problems begun in 2013 following a complaint of corruption that was lodged by a whistle-blower in the IGG's office.
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