Magistrate suspended over sexual abuse, fraud
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The ombudsman also accused the magistrate of maladministration of justice at the court, after receiving numerous complaints
KAMPALA. Mbarara Grade One Magistrate Belmos Opio Ogwang has been interdicted over alleged sexual harassment of a court staff.
Mr Ogwang was interdicted last week by the Chief Registrar Courts of Judicature, Mr Paul Gadenya, to pave way for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to probe into the alleged crime.
The JSC is mandated with recruitment and discipline of errant judicial officers.
The sexual harassment complaint was lodged to the Judiciary by a female court staff whose name has been concealed to avoid stigmatisation. “Yes, I have interdicted Magistrate Ogwang whom I have sent to the JSC for investigations. He had appeared before the Judiciary’s disciplinary committee twice and it’s on that basis that we decided to refer him to the JSC,” Mr Gadenya said on Wednesday in a telephone interview.
According to the Chief Registrar of Courts, the magistrate allegedly committed the offence when he was working at Kyenjojo court.
The secretary to JSC, Mr Kagole Kivumbi, confirmed receiving a letter from the Judiciary asking them to investigate the magistrate in question.
Investigations soon
“JSC will investigate the matter and the outcome will be communicated to all the parties after due process,” Mr Kivumbi said.
In a related development, the JSC has started investigations on the same magistrate over alleged fraud.
Mr Ogwang allegedly committed the offence when he was a magistrate at Pader court in the late 2000s.
According to a March 6, 2015 letter by the Chief Registrar, the IGG after an investigation conducted late last year, recommended disciplinary action against Mr Ogwang for using unofficial receipt books to collect bail money and public funds.
The ombudsman also accused the magistrate of maladministration of justice at the court, after receiving numerous complaints.
