Ex-ministry engineer freed over Shs7b LC bicycle scam

Mr Robert Kakiiza was acquitted of abuse of office and neglect of duty. Photo | Courtesy

What you need to know:

  • The prosecution alleged that Mr Kakiiza was required to provide technical guidance on specifications of the bicycles, which were to be procured, but did not.

The former principal engineer in the Ministry of Works has been acquitted of corruption in the procurement of the Local Council bicycles in 2010.

Mr Robert Kakiiza was acquitted of abuse of office and neglect of duty on Monday after undergoing trial for nearly two years. He had eluded trial for nine years after he was pronounced dead. But he was later apprehended and prosecuted.

During the trial, the prosecution stated that Mr Kakiiza was part of the evaluation committee for the procurement of 70,000 bicycles by the Ministry of Local Government as a representative of the Ministry of Works.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Kakiiza was required to provide technical guidance on specifications of the bicycles, which were to be procured, but did not.

However, Justice Lawrence Gidudu of the Anti-Corruption Court acquitted Mr Kakiiza and said court did not find criminal liability connecting him to the charges against him.

“…After evaluating the evidence adduced by the prosecution and the defence, I find that the charges brought against the accused have not been proved beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge ruled.

Justice Gidudu added: “The lady assessor did not find the accused guilty of neglect of duty. She opined that the accused had a legitimate reason not to attend the meeting and when he returned, he got a brief as required by law. I accept the assessor’s opinion that there was not proof of negligence of duty by the accused.”

The said bicycles were meant to be used by village chairpersons for vote mobilisation ahead of 2011 elections, but the procurement was bungled and government lost about Shs4.6b.

In July 2014, six men, among them former permanent secretary of Local Government ministry John Muhanguzi Kashaka, were convicted over the same bicycle scam. 
Kashaka was sentenced to 10 years in prison and barred from holding public office for 10 years.