The Anti-Corruption Division has sentenced three officials from Lira District Local Government to four years in prison each after finding them guilty of fraudulently acquiring a certificate of title for public land.
The convicted officials are Opio Francis, the District Staff Surveyor; Otike Pabius, the District Natural Resources Officer; and Ogwanga Joel, a Cartographer at the Ministry of Lands’ Lira Zonal Office.
Also convicted was Atoo Rebecca, a private individual and sister to Opio Francis, in whose name the fraudulently acquired land was registered. She was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for facilitating the fraudulent scheme.
According to court findings, between February and August 2019, Lira District Local Government began the process of acquiring a certificate of title for its land located at Ireda Estate.
During the survey process, Opio Francis and Otike Pabius deliberately excluded a portion of the district land. With the assistance of Ogwanga Joel, the trio fraudulently procured a Freehold Certificate of Title for Plots 3–5 Ben Emor Road, Ireda Estate, covering the excluded land, and registered it in the name of Atoo Rebecca.
Court heard that after securing the title, Atoo Rebecca sold the land to Olam Pius, with all the convicted persons participating in and witnessing the transaction.
The four accused were arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Division on June 20, 2023, following investigations conducted jointly by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
After evaluating the evidence presented by the prosecution, the court found the accused guilty of Abuse of Office, Fraudulent Procurement of a Certificate of Title, and Conspiracy to Defraud.
The three public officials were each sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and were further barred from holding any public office for the next 10 years following the completion of their sentences.
Atoo Rebecca, who was not a public officer but was found to have facilitated the fraud by allowing the land to be registered in her name, was sentenced to one year in prison.
