The Anti-Corruption Court has handed prison sentences to Pallisa District Member of Parliament Otukol Samuel and three co-accused after finding them guilty of causing financial loss, theft, and conspiracy to defraud in a case that exposed abuse of public office.
The convictions also implicate Odap Francis, a former Chief Administrative Officer and director at Samix Uganda Ltd and Zedkol Financial Services; Wamburu Willy, Acting Chief Financial Officer of Namisindwa District; and Osire Ezekiel, Director of Zedkol Financial Services.
Court records show a coordinated scheme in which public funds were siphoned through fraudulent transactions, with each of the accused playing distinct roles in the execution of the fraud.
Odap Francis was sentenced to concurrent terms of 12, 14, and 8 months for causing financial loss, alongside 12 and 14 months for conspiracy to defraud. He will serve a total of 14 months in prison.
Wamburu Willy received concurrent sentences of 12, 15, and 10 months on counts of causing financial loss, and 12 and 15 months for conspiracy to defraud, resulting in a 15-month jail term.
Otukol Samuel received heavier penalties, with the court sentencing him to 18 months and two years’ imprisonment on theft charges, and an additional 18 months and two years for conspiracy to defraud. The sentences will run concurrently.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered Otukol to compensate Namisindwa District Local Government Shs 307,698,858. The amount includes Shs 202,483,413 lost through Samix Uganda Ltd and Shs 105,215,445, representing half of the funds lost through Zedkol Financial Services.
While delivering the ruling on Wednesday, the court emphasized the abuse of positions of trust, noting that Odap approved fictitious invoices that enabled the loss of public funds, while Wamburu initiated the fraudulent transactions that set the scheme in motion.
The court declined to order compensation from Odap and Wamburu, reasoning that the stolen funds were ultimately received by Otukol and Osire. It concluded that the sentences imposed were sufficient to meet the ends of justice.
The ruling underscores ongoing efforts by the Anti-Corruption Court to hold public officials and their collaborators accountable for financial misconduct and misuse of public resources.
