BUTAMBALA – The State House Anti Corruption Unit working with Criminal Investigation Division of Uganda Police together with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), have arraigned at Butambula Chief Magistrate Court 4 Butambula District Officials on charges of Theft of Fuel and Conspiracy to Defraud.
These include; Naigembe Jesica, the Acting District Engineer, Wandera Joseph, the Chief Financial Officer, Muwaga Fred, the District Internal Auditor and Kizito Charles Mukalazi, the driver Butambala district Local Govt.
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The acused have pleaded not guilty to charges against them and being that investigations in the matter are still underway, they have been remanded until 28, July , 2025.
Prosecution alleges that the accused and Kayinga Geoffrey, the Acting District Water Officer, who is still on the run, between the month of June and April 2024 within the F/Y 2023-2024 in Butambala District, misappropriated 80,000.86 litres of fuel valued worth Ugx 431,447,400 meant for road works unde UGX 1 Billion Road Maintenance Grant.
The two Engineers, Naigembe Jesca and Kaying Geoffrey, would inflate fuel required for different road projects and then later misappropriate the fuel by drawing it irregularly or issuing it to private individuals, outside the planned works.
To cover up, the Engineers would then connive with different fuel station managers to falsify accountabilities purporting to have issued the fuel to drivers under the Works Department for road works, which drivers denied having consumed the said fuel.
Wandera Joseph and Muwaga Fred, the Chief Finance Officer and District Internal Auditor, respectively, are faulted for deliberately failing to supervise the Engineers who were entrusted with the receipt and expenditure of the 1 Billion Road Maintenance grant. Investigations also revealed that both officials, have equally been benefiting by irregularly consuming fuel meant for road works and in effect, failing to check the abuses by the Engineers.
