Court rules on former NFA boss tomorrow
Mr Damian Akankwasa, the former Executive Director National Forest Authority (NFA) leaves Anti-corruption court after appearing before a judge last year over charges of causing a financial loss. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KIGGUNDU
KAMPALA. The Anti-Corruption Court will tomorrow deliver judgment on the appeal by former National Forestry Authority (NFA) executive director, Damien Akankwasa, who was sentenced to two years in jail by the High Court for abuse of office.
The lower magistrate’s court convicted Akankwasa for selling 10,000 eucalyptus poles from Mwenge Forest Reserve at half price of Shs10,000 each instead of Shs20,000 despite protests from the director of plantations.
Prosecution stated that Akankwasa committed the offence between April 7 and May 23, 2008, while he was still serving as NFA executive director, without consulting the procurement and contracts committees.
Appeal
He appealed against the sentence on grounds that being the NFA executive director at that time, he had powers under the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act to make any sales of forest resources at any amount without being questioned.
However, the state prosecutor, Mr Rogers Kinobe told court that there was a contract committee that was responsible for pricing in any transaction which Mr Akakwasa was aware of.
While sentencing Akankwasa, Grade One Magistrate Susanne Okeny said the convict deserved a custodial sentence because he was in a managerial position and knew that what he was doing was not right. She said by using a private treaty to cause the felling of 10,000 trees for electric poles, Akankwasa disadvantaged other bidders who would have paid for the same trees at a better price.
