Former Principal Accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister Geoffrey Kazinda has again been convicted for embezzling public funds amounting to Shs306m that was meant for Regional consultative meetings in West Nile; Northern Karamoja and Elgon Regions; which were never conducted.
Anti-Corruption Court Judge Lawrence Gidudu found him guilty and ordered him to return the said money to the government coffers; a failure for which he should be imprisoned for 12 years.
Justice Gidudu also ordered Kazinda to pay a Court fine of Shs3 million.
He committed the offense on 17th March 2021.
In his judgment, the Judge found that Kazinda furnished the court with false accountability, as money was never received by James Okuja a Senior Assistant Secretary in the OPM also the key witness in this case; to implement the activities.
That this evidence apart from being unchallenged was also straightforward and based on documents that speak for themselves.
According to the judge, this money ended in Kazinda’s pocket depriving it of the owner; the Government of Uganda; and it was never spent on the purpose for which it was requisitioned. It was stolen; Justice Gidudu concluded.
