By Mubiru Ivan
Three former Public Service Ministry officials and renowned city lawyer have on Friday been convicted stealing Shs15.4 billion that was meant for pensioners.
The convicts include former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Jimmy Lwamafa, Principal Accountant in the Pensions Department Christopher Obey and Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa, the former Director Research and Development as well as lawyer Bob Kasango.
Justice Margaret Tibulya of the Anti-corruption Court found them guilty of diversion of funds, fraud, forgery, theft and conspiracy to defraud government funds.
According to Daily Monitor, court heard that there was overwhelming evidence that proved that the accused persons forged a court order, a certificate of taxation and a certificate of costs directing the Attorney General to pay Hall and Partners the money that was meant for pension and gratuity of more than 639,000 pensioners.
In 2016, Lwamafa, Obey and Kunsa were found guilty of causing government a shs88 billion loss and abuse of office.
They were accused of getting involved in the scandal in which ghost pensioners were created and billions of shillings deposited on their accounts before being withdrawing it.
The stolen money was hatched in the public service, smoothened in finance ministry and executed in Cairo bank where the money was finally paid out to ghost pensioners.
The presiding justice Lawrence Gidudu sentenced Obey to 10 years in jail, Lwamafa to seven years in jail whereas Kiwanuka to five years.
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