Kampala. The Inspector General of Government, Irene Mulyagonja, has said public officials accused of stealing large amounts of public money shun plea bargaining.

Ms Mulyagonja said whereas some appear interested to settle for less punishment over plea bargaining, they offer to return just a fraction of the money they stole.

“We have withdrawn some charges against officers who are willing to refund what they have stolen,” Ms Mulyagonja said on Thursday, April 12 while appearing before the House Committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to brief it on the inspectorate’s activities.

“But I can assure you there are very few who are willing to come and tell you ‘I have actually taken the money’ or ‘I am guilty of this offence and I want to return the money.’”

She said plea bargaining in Uganda mostly happens where the suspects have stolen small amounts of money.

“Those who have stolen large amounts of money, of course, are not willing to refund,” Ms Mulyagonja said.

She cited a case two days back where some individuals accused of stealing Shs1.2 billion, did not say how much each of them stole.

Ms Mulyagonja said there is need for a non-conviction-based asset recovery.

With such a law, she said, where there is evidence one has stolen public funds and has used the money to acquire assets, then even in the absence of a conviction in court, the inspectorate could – through civil action – go after them.

She said that South Africa is using the above method to recover a lot of money from public officials who steal public funds.