DPP ORDERS FOR INTERDICTION OF EMBATTLED EOC CHAIRPERSON NTAMBI

By our reporter

www.mknewslink.com

In Kampala

The Director of Public Prosecutions Justice Jane Frances Abodo has directed that Equal Opportunities Commission chairperson Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi must leave office immediately since she is still under investigations on criminal related charges until she is pronounced innocent by Court as the law stipulates.

The DPP ordered the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development Aggrey Kibenge to interdict Ntambi.

The chairperson was last month jailed by Anti-Corruption Court over corruption.

She was granted bail on November 4 by the Grade One Magistrate Moses Nabende after depositing UGX. 3.5 million cash bail, her passport and a land title with the court.

Now, Mr. Aggrey Kibenge, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender now says in a November 9 letter to the Solicitor General Francis Atoke, that he was stuck with the DPP’s order because the Members of the Equal Opportunities Commission including the Chairperson are appointed by the President.

“… If the above advice by the DPP stands, to seek your advice on who is the rightful officer to interdict Ms Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi since she is an appointee of H.E the President,” Mr. Kibenge wrote.

The Solicitor General is yet to reply to the letter.
Ms Ntambi is jointly charged with her assistants at the Equal Opportunities Commission on abuse of office, corruption and conspiracy to defraud government more than 35 million shillings.

Her co-accused are; Agnes Enid Kamahoro, Moses Mugabe, Mpitsi Mujuni, Ronnie Kwesiga, Manasseh Kwihangana, Harriet Byangire, Evans Jjemba, Sarah Nassanga and Sunday Nicholas Olwor.

The prosecution alleges that Ntambi conspired with her assistants to steal money which they accessed by the virtue of the different offices they hold. The money was obtained between January and December 2018, as per diem for editing and drafting Equal Opportunities Commission HIV/AIDS workplace policy, yet none of the officials was reportedly entitled to it.

The prosecution alleges that the per diem was acquired by Kamahoro, the senior personal secretary Equal Opportunities Commission and later approved irregularly by Mujuni, the Secretary to the Commission, an act which caused financial loss to the government.

It is also alleged that part of the stolen funds had been earmarked for sensitization on equity and rights issues in lower local governments in Karamoja region.

The group has since denied the charges, released on bail and interdicted to pave way for investigations.

Ntambi returns to Court on November 24, 2020 for mention of her case.

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