By Angel Lubowa
Court
Four senior Officials from Butambala District have been arraigned before the Butambala Chief Magistrates Court on charges of Theft of Fuel and Conspiracy to Defraud.
The accused included Mrs Naigembe Jesica, the Ag. District Engineer. Mr Wandera Joseph, Chief Financial Officer.
Mr Muwaga Fred, District Internal Auditor and Kizito Charles Mukalazi, driver Butambala district Local Govt.
They denied all the chargrs and were remanded until 28/07/2025.
It was alleged that the accused and Kayinga Geoffrey, the Ag. District Water Officer, who is still on the run, between the month of June and April 2024 in the F/Y 2023-2024 in Butambala District, misappropriated 80,000.86 litres of fuel valued worth Ugx 431,447,400 meant for road works under UGX 1 Billion Road Maintenance Grant.
The two Engineers, Naigembe Jesca and Kayinga Geoffrey, would inflate fuel required for different road projects and then later misappropriate the fuel by drawing it irregularly or issuing it to private individuals, outside the planned works.
To cover up, the Engineers would then connive with different fuel station managers to falsify accountabilities purporting to have issued the fuel to drivers under the Works Department for road works, which drivers denied having consumed the said fuel.
Wandera Joseph and Muwaga Fred, the Chief Finance Officer and District Internal Auditor, respectively, are faulted for deliberately failing to supervise the Engineers who were entrusted with the receipt and expenditure of the one Billion Road Maintenance grant.
Investigations also revealed that both officials, have equally been benefiting by irregularly consuming fuel meant for road works and in effect, failing to check the abuses by the Engineers.
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