Tororo govt officials remanded over theft of Shs50m SGR compensation
Tororo Municipal Education Officer Teddy Makola Ajuma (right) and Morukatipe View School head teacher Eunice Nanjala (left) are seen escorted out of court after they were remanded on July 26, 2024. PHOTO/JOSEPH OMOLLO
What you need to know:
- The officials were remanded after prosecution argued that investigations were not yet done since the case is ‘high profile.’
Tororo Municipal education officer Teddy Makola Ajuma and two others have been remanded to Morukatipe Prisons in Tororo over diverting more than Shs50 million meant for a school.
Ajuma had been arrested on Wednesday with two others, including the head teacher of Morukatipe View Primary School Eunice Nanjala and Amagoro LC IV councilor Andrew Omuye.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit ordered their arrest.
Appearing before Tororo grade one magistrate Elijah Iradukunda, the suspects were charged with connivance and embezzlement.
According to prosecution, the suspects reportedly connived and diverted over Shs52 million, part of what the school received as compensation for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) construction.
Out of the money Shs30 million was meant to compensate the school for affected crops while the Shs22 million was compensation for demolition of the school structures ahead of its relocation.
The officials were remanded up to August 7, 2024 after prosecution argued that investigations were not yet done since the case is ‘high profile.’
The state represented by George Semukete preferred two charges of theft contrary to section 237 and 244 of the penal code Act and conspiracy to commit a felony per section 390 of the penal code Act. The trio pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate Iradukunda said his court could not grant the trio bail because another suspect identified as David Oroni is currently on the run and releasing the 3 would jeopardize prosecution.
He also noted that military intelligence chiefs had also picked interest.
The state also asked the court to issue an arrest warrant to Oroni, the chairperson of the school management committee.
Corruption costs Uganda more than Shs10trillion annually, according to the Ombudsman.
