NAGRIC boss Dr.Lagu, three others charged, remanded
The Executive Director of the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB), Dr Charles Lagu, 44 has been charged with offences related to causing financial loss to government and remanded to Kitalya government prison.
Others charged and remanded jointly with Lagu are Ezekiel Phillip Mukani, 31, a Procurement Officer, Olivious Komujuni, 27, an Animal Husbandry Officer and Emmanuel Kafute Rumanzi, 37, the Director of Nuruma Holdings Limited.
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The quartet was on Wednesday afternoon arraigned before Makindye Grade one Magistrate, Prossy Katushabe and charges including abuse of office, causing financial loss and conspiracy to defraud read to them.
They denied all the charges before being remanded to Kitalya and Kigo government prisons respectively.
The charges
Prosecution alleges that on October 15, 2018, Dr Lagu did an arbitrary act prejudicial to his employer when he authorised a call off order in favour of Nuruma Holdings Limited for them to supply and deliver 1,000 and 600 kilograms of Chloris Gayana to Nshara Ranch and Sanga Field Station respectively worth shs 54.4 million without a request and confirmation of need from the said farms.
It was also alleged that on January 8,2019, the NAGRC boss also effected payment of shs 51 million to Nuruma Holdings Limited for supply of the said products without a confirmation and request of need from the said field farms.
Prosecution accuses Mukanizi of having initiated the procurement process leading to the said illegalities and in the process was part of the beneficiaries of the said monies.
Komujuni who was employed at Ruhengyere Field Station in Kiruhura District is accused of releasing the products in question to Nuruma Holdings Limited.
According to prosecution, the said procurement was fictitious because the supply was got from Ruhengere field station in Kiruhura district to Nshaara Ranch and Sanga field stations.
Dr.Lagu was over the weekend arrested from his home in Mbarara by police officers attached to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
He has since blamed mafia for his woes.
