Three officials from Fort Portal City have been arraigned before the Anti-corruption Court on charges of Abuse of Office.
The officials, identified as Kagaba Richard Ndora, the former acting Deputy Town Clerk; Kyomuhendo Susan, a Senior Assistant Secretary to the City Service Commission; and Ben Mutooro Musinguzi, an office assistant who also serves as an assistant records officer, are accused of forging and issuing appointment letters to 23 applicants without clearance from the Public Service.
The alleged offenses occurred between November 2022 and July 2023.
According to the charges, the officials backdated the appointment letters to June 29, 2023, just one day before a crucial circular issued by the Ministry of Public Service on June 30, 2023.
This circular suspended all recruitments that lacked proper clearance.
This action was in direct violation of multiple earlier directives from the Ministry of Public Service and the Public Service Commission.
The suspects allegedly disregarded these guidelines, proceeding with unauthorized appointments.
The arraignment, carried out by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, in collaboration with the Criminal Investigation Department and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, is another move against corruption within public service recruitment processes.
The accused have been remanded until December 4, 2024, as the court prepares to hear the case.
This development underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in public office, aiming to restore public trust in the recruitment processes.
The Anti-corruption Court’s actions resonate with the broader #ExposeTheCorrupt campaign, which seeks to bring corrupt officials to justice and promote integrity in public service.