The trial date has been set for ten Bugiri District officials accused of causing a financial loss totaling over Shs1.2 billion, intended for teachers. The trial is scheduled to commence on June 24, 2024, at the Chief Magistrate’s court in Bugiri.
The decision was made by Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro of the Anti-Corruption Court, who granted bail to the suspects under specific conditions. Each accused individual is required to pay Shs5 million in cash and provide a bond of Shs300 million, not in cash, to their sureties.
Initially remanded to Luzira prison after pleading not guilty to charges of financial loss and abetment, the suspects appeared in court for the hearing of the state’s submission regarding their bail application.
Chief Magistrate Aciro emphasized the uniformity of bail conditions for all accused individuals, although exceptions were made regarding the deposit of passports due to most of them not possessing travel documents.
The court also announced preliminary proceedings scheduled for May 2 at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala before the full trial begins in Bugiri on June 24 and 28. This decision was influenced by a request from the Inspectorate of Government, citing the majority of witnesses residing in Bugiri.
The accused individuals, including high-ranking officials such as the Chief Administrative Officer and district officers, face charges related to financial mismanagement. Allegations include the initiation, validation, and approval of fictitious salary arrears, resulting in significant financial losses to the government.
According to the prosecution, the irregularities occurred between March 2019 and December 2022, involving various officials in the Bugiri District Local Government. The charges range from causing financial loss to abetting such actions, as per the details outlined in the court record.
The arrests followed complaints from teachers regarding delayed salary payments, prompting a verification exercise that revealed substantial discrepancies amounting to over Shs1.2 billion in the salary payroll.
