NTUNGAMO-The State House Anti-Corruption Unit on Thursday, 16th February 2023 arrested the Ntungamo district principal veterinary officer, Dr. Yake Basulira over forging receipts claimed to have accrued during the enforcement of foot and mouth disease quarantine in the district.
Dr. Yake is also accused of adducing falsified affidavits that led to the auction of impounded animals.
The accused was produced before Ntungamo Magistrates’ court on Friday evening, however court presided over by Magistrate Grade I, Justice Edgar Kakuru could not hear his plea, remanding him to Ntungamo central prisons until Monday 20th February 2024 when he is expected to be produced before the same court for plea.
Magistrate Kakuru asserted that the suspect was produced to court past working hours.
“It’s beyond the court time and we cannot hear any case, let the suspect be remanded till Monday February 20th.” Mr Kakuru said.
The law dictates that courts can not hear cases before 9:00am in the morning and after 5:00pm in the evening.
Prosecution alleges that on December 20, 2022 Dr. Yake Basulira while appearing before Ntungamo Magistrate’s court uttered falsifications corroborated in his claims for expenses in an affidavit presented before the same court.
Two counts of falsification all committed on December 19th 2022 wherein includes UG. Shs 1,502,000 and UG. Shs 3,000,000 claimed to have been used in facilitating the district foot and mouth disease task force. Prosecution maintains that this was false.
In December 2022, 12 cows strayed from the farm of a one Gikwereke of Rubaare sub county and because the area had been put under animal movement restriction, the 12 cows were impounded and handed over to the army that kept them under watch until Dr Yaake and Ntungamo RDC Mr Mucunguzi Geoffrey decided they be auctioned before court asserting that they had symptoms of Foot and mouth disease and could not be returned to farm. The money accrued from the auction is the centre of contestation.
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.
About The Author
