Soroti town clerk sued over forgery of council minutes
The town clerk is said to have mailed to the ministries of Finance and that of Local Government a forged document
What you need to know:
- The town clerk, in his August 24 letter addressed to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, said during Independence celebrations in Soroti in 2014, President Museveni made a pledge of Shs100m for completion of the council hall. “I am, therefore, requesting for a supplementary budget to enable warranting and have the funds utilised,” he said.
The outgoing speaker for Soroti City, Mr Isaac Elakuna, has dragged the town clerk, Mr Moses Otimong, to court accusing him of forging and uttering false documents to the Ministry of Finance.
Mr Elakuna first registered a complaint of forgery at Soroti Central Police Station against Mr Otimong for allegedly forging a stamp to falsify council minutes to justify a supplementary budget of more than Shs100m for allegedly renovating council chambers.
The outgoing speaker told this publication that the August 20-document, which the town clerk mailed to the ministries of Finance and that of Local Government, are forgeries, and he had no hand in them.
“It is high time the law reigns in on Otimong; he has caused loss to council finances in dubious deals. I will not allow him to continue tarnishing my name,” Mr Elakuna said.
Through his lawyers of Engulu & Company Advocates, Mr Elakuna states that on August 24, the town clerk forged his signature as a signatory to a minute extract of the Soroti Municipal Council meeting.
“Our client does not remember attending any such meeting, let alone signing the alleged minute extract for approval of a supplementary budget,” Mr Elakuna’s court documents read in part.
The lawyers said the other letter dated August 24, authored by the town clerk, has put the reputation of the speaker in question, adding that he has to defend himself in court.
Mr David Ongom Mudong, the police spokesperson for East Kyoga region, confirmed that a case of forgery was registered at Soroti Central Police Station and investigations are underway.
Mr Silver Edoku, the councillor for Western Division, said he never appended his signature onto the documents as alleged by the town clerk.
“I was called by fellow councillors to clarify on the contentious matter, for which I said I didn’t participate,” he said, adding that this is not the first time the council minutes are being forged.
Ms Susan Aino, another councillor whose signature was appended onto the minutes of the said council meeting, denied participating in it.
Mr Otimong dismissed the allegations of forgery, saying his accusers are seeking political capital out of the matter.
“There are no forgeries whatsoever; there is a pending presidential pledge for which this money is going to be used,” he said on Monday.
