The Inspectorate of Government on Wednesday June 14, 2023 arrested and took to Anti-Corruption Court seven officials from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with 12 counts including theft, abuse of office and Embezzlement of public funds.
In this latest scandal at OPM, over shs 5 billion shillings is reportedly lost.
The seven officials are; underscretaries Geofrey Sserembe and Deogratius Masigazi, Senior Assistant Secretaries Joshua Abaho and Samuel Ofungi, Principal Assistant Secretary Barbara Asasira, Assistant Commissioner Programmes Emmy Tonmy Ameny and Programs Officer Peter Omodoi.
According to the charge sheet signed by Brenda Kimbugwe the Manager Prosecutions at IGG’s office, the seven officials are charged on causing financial loss contrary to Section 20 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 (as amended).
It is alleged that betwern February and June 2022, Geofrey Seremba and Deogratius Masigazi while performing their duties as accounting ifficers and Head if Department respectively im the OPM, approved a total cash payment of 4,497,132,000 to various staff within OPM without any proper workplan nor genuine activity to be carried out while knowing that their acts would cause financial loss.
The actions, according to the charge sheet, would later cause a loss of Shs 3,347,491,000 to the OPM.
During the same period, it is alleged that Joshua Abaho while employed as senior assistant secretary OPM stole Shs. 2,473,154,000 advanced to him for coordinating various peace building initiatives in Karamoja region to which he had access of his office.
Abaho, according to the charge sheet, failed to account for the above amount of money, an arbitrary act prejudicial to the interest of the OPM.
The four others are accused of Embezzlement; Barbara Asasira 538 million, Emmy Tonmy Ameny 225 million, Peter Amodoi 100 million and Samuel Ofungi 69 million.
