For the First Time – ACC Jails Two
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is no longer a toothless bulldog. The commission has developed teeth and begun to bite.
On Friday, 7th June, 2013, the ACC, for the first time, handed down a compulsory custodian sentence on two corrupt officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) ACC press release discloses.
The trial judge, Ugandan-born Justice J. B. Katutsi slammed a five-year jail sentence on the first accused, Mustapha Amara, who was the Project Accountant of the Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPRFMP). Mustapha Amara was also fined the sum of Le 60 million or, in default of payment of the said fine, a further term of imprisonment for three years cumulative. He was convicted on the second count of dishonest appropriation of donor funds contrary to section 37(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008. He was, however, acquitted on the first count of conspiracy to dishonestly appropriate donor funds contrary to law.
The second accused person, Joseph Tewuleh, who was Senior Driver, received a five-year concurrent jail sentence on each of the three counts charge of dishonest appropriation of donor funds contrary to section 37(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008. In addition, he was fined the sum of Le 80 million or, in default, a further three years imprisonment cumulative. He was, however, acquitted on the one count charge of conspiracy to dishonestly appropriate donor funds contrary to law.
The third accused person, Bob S. Peterson, formerly Finance Administrator, Reelin (SL) Limited, was acquitted and discharged on one count of conspiracy to dishonestly appropriate donor funds.
While passing the verdict, the trial judge said: “It is said the accused persons have no previous records; however, the method they used show that they are highly skilled criminals… they are grand designers of the web of corruption. They are anti-progress and anti-people…all they care about is themselves and God for us all… the time for reckoning is now.”
The commission was represented by Ady Macauley Esq. while the accused persons were represented by Sulaiman Kabbah Koroma, Melron Nicol-Wilson and Leonard Taylor.
By Dennis Jones
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