Ugandan authorities have arraigned several Members of Parliament and a prominent lawyer before the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of diverting over 3.4 billion Ugandan shillings (UGX) meant for war loss compensation. The accused individuals have been remanded in custody until their next court appearance on July 9th, 2024.
According to the statement released by the anti-corruption unit, the group conspired to divert the funds, which were disbursed by the Government of Uganda (GOU) as compensation for losses suffered during past conflicts, to the Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society for their personal use.
“We will not tolerate the misappropriation of public funds meant to support our citizens who have suffered the consequences of past conflicts. This is a clear message that the government is serious about tackling corruption and holding those responsible accountable,” the statement reads in part.
The statement noted that the investigation is still ongoing, and authorities have indicated that more arrests may follow as they work to uncover the full extent of the fraud.
The arrests were made by a joint team comprising the Anti-Graft Taskforce (@AntiGraft_SH), the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (@CID1_UG), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (@ODPPUGANDA).
The accused individuals are Mawanda Michael Maranga of Igara East Constituency in Bushenyi District, Wamakuyu Ignatius Mudimi of Elgon County in Bulambuli District, Akamba Paul of Busiki County in Namutumba District, and Lawyer Kirya Julius of Kirya Company Advocates.