Two government officials who gave away 13 hectares of Ibanda Local Forest Reserve to a Cooperative Society without permission have been arraigned before the Anticorruption Court in Kololo on charges of Abuse of Office.
Matsiko Mutwingire Abert who was employed as the Chief Administrative Officer-CAO and Nuwagira Tom,Natural Resources Officer of Ibanda District Local Government respectively committed the offence in June 2008.
In abuse of the authority of their offices, they irregularly entered into a memorandum of understanding with Rukokoma Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative Society giving away 13 hectares of Ibanda Local Forest Reserve to the said Cooperative Society without first obtaining degazettement of the said forest reserve.
They have today Wednesday, September 28, 2022 appeared before Grade One Magistrate Sarah Asiimwe and denied the charges before court remanded Matsiko to Luzira prison until 12th October 2022 while Nuwagira has been granted bail of Ugx5 million cash, and his sureties ordered to sign a noncash bond of Ugx25 million to ensure that he reports back to court for trial.
The accused were today arrested by the State House Anti-corruption Unit officers as they had come to report on police bond.