NTUNGAMO: The state house anti-corruption unit on Thursday arrested the Ntungamo District principal Veterinary Officer Dr. Yake Basulira over forging receipts of accountability in enforcing foot and mouth disease quarantine in the district and deceiving court by swearing affidavits that led to auction of impounded animals.
Dr. Yake was produced before Ntungamo Magistrates’ court on Friday evening. However court presided over by magistrate Grade I Mr Edgar Kakuru could not hear his plea, remanding him to Ntungamo central prisons until Monday February 20 when he will appear before the same court for plea.
Magistrate Kakuru reasoned that he was produced to court late and could thus not take a plea as working hours for court processes were out.
“It’s beyond the court time and we cannot hear any case, let the suspect be remanded till Monday February 20 when he will take a plea and be given a chance to apply for bail.” Mr Kakuru said.
“Courts are not allowed to hear cases before 9:00am in the morning and after 5:00pm in the evening,” Kakuru added.
He is accused of forging fuel station receipts in December 2022 and uttering the same before Ntungamo Magistrate’s court on December 20, 2022 claiming expenses in affidavit before the same court.
Two counts of falsification all committed on December 19th 2022 by swearing affidavits in claiming for Ushs 1,502,000 an UShs 3,000,000 to maintain the district foot and mouth disease task force which was found false.
The offenses occurred from impounded animals that had strayed from a farm of one Gikwereke of Rubaare sub county in December 2022. Because the area had been put under animal movement restriction, 12 cows that had strayed were impounded and handed over to the army that kept them until Dr Yaake and Ntungamo RDC Mr Mucunguzi Geoffrey decided they be auctioned before court reasoning they has symptoms of Foot and mouth disease and could not be returned to farm. Money taken from the auction is the centre of contestation as it was supposedly mismanaged.
The state house anti-corruption team has been in the district investigating the management of district imposed quarantine on foot and mouth disease after allegations emerged that key political and technical heads were gaining from closing markets fleecing farmers of money to transport or sell animals.
The head of investigations Mr Bunya Emmanuel says the investigations aim at finding all the glitches in the management of the animal disease among other issues being investigated.
By Ambrose Kweronda
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