JINJA: Mr. Haruna Mulopa, the Jinja City Education Officer, and Mr. Samuel Ngobi, the Assistant Sports Officer, were on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, remanded to Luzira Prison on accusations of diverting the government’s Universal Primary Education (UPE) capitation grant funds.
The Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by Grade One Magistrate Christopher Opit, remanded the two officials after they pleaded not guilty to the charges of abuse of office.
According to the prosecution, the technocrats, between 2021 and May 2022, instructed headteachers of several government-aided schools in Jinja City to divert UPE funds to other activities. This was contrary to UPE guidelines and regulations for handling public funds.
Leading the prosecution, Mr. Raymond Mugisha informed the court that, “The diverted funds were redirected to a sports workshop and Jinja City Council activities.”
The two embattled officials were remanded to Luzira Prison until August 29, 2024, to allow for further investigation.
The same court also issued an arrest warrant for Ms. Amina Mutesi, the Principal Education Officer of Jinja City, who is currently on the run. She is also implicated in the same charges.
The accused were arrested on Tuesday by the Anti-Corruption Unit, officers from the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who have been actively investigating cases of misuse of public funds.
Ms. Amina Mutesi evaded arrest as she had gone to pick up her children from school.
In 2022, the Anti-Corruption Unit of State House, in liaison with Uganda Police and the Internal Security Organization, arrested six Jinja City officials for illegally selling off government school land.
The suspects included Ms. Amina Mutesi (Education Officer), Mr. Peter Mawerere (Town Clerk), Mr. Fred Waiswa (Senior Land Management Officer), Mr. Charles Nampendo (City Physical Planner), Ms. Joy Kasowole (Acting Town Clerk), and Mr. Ismail Batabane.
They were accused of mismanaging the land belonging to Spire Road and Lakeside Primary Schools, which are government-aided schools.
It was also alleged that Mutesi diverted UPE funds amounting to Shs1.4 billion to a private account of a Teachers’ Association and illegally hired out Spire Road Primary School structures to Makerere University.
The arrests of Mulopa and Ngobi signify the government’s determination to crack down on the corruption flooding public offices across the country.
