By Peter Abanabasazi
The Hoima District LCV Chairperson Kadiri Kirungi and three other district executive officials have Tuesday evening appeared before the Hoima Chief Magistrates court and charged for forgery and uttering false documents.
Kadiri has been charged together with the his vice chairperson Benson Chiche who is also the Buhanika sub county chairperson, Jackson Mugenyi Mulindambura, the district secretary for production and natural resources and Geoffrey Kumakech, the district secretary for finance and administration who is also the Bueruka sub county councillor.
According to the charge sheet, the four are accused of forgery which is contrary to section 342 and 347 of the Penal Code Act Cap 120, uttering a false document contrary to section 351 and 347 of the Penal Code Act and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Kadiri is also accused of knowingly uttering and fraudulently issuing a false document regarding the DEC minutes to DIP Bernard Ochaya while at the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in Entebbe on 30th August, 2021.
Prosecution notes that the four on August 28, 2021 at Hoima Cultural Lodge in Hoima district, with intent to deceive, forged the District Executive Committee (DEC) minutes purporting the same to have been made on June, 22nd 2021 during the DEC meeting whereas not.
The suspects pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The Hoima Chief magistrate James Opio who presided over court granted the suspects a cash bail of Sh1.5m each until October 13, 2021 when they will return to court for hearing of their case. Their sureties were granted a non-cash bail of Sh10m.
Trouble for Kadiri and the three officials’ is said to stem from the misuse of road equipment that was impounded by the Police and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in late August.
The equipment that includes a grader and a Vibro roller machine was found on a private farm owned by an Indian investor in Kigumba town council Kiryandongo district last month. At the time they were impounded, the grader and the Vibro roller had their number plates plucked off.
This led to the arrest of the Hoima district engineer Ibrahim Luswata, Vincent Irumba, the works supervisor and Charles Tibagwa, a mechanic attached to Hoima district local government. They were accused of conniving with other district leaders.
Days later, one of the suspects Benson Chiche told the media that the district had legally hired out the road equipment following a resolution by the DEC in June this year.
