Anti-Corruption Court yesterday convicted and fined former State House Private Secretary in charge of Political Affairs and Seminars Alice Kaboyo Shs20m upon entering her own plea of guilt or in default, be jailed for two years. She opted for the latter and was let off the hook by Irene Akankwasa, the Chief Magistrate at the Anti-Corruption Court.

This was after prosecution led by Sydney Asubo told court that said she refunded Shs250m she fraudulently received to purportedly run youth mobilisation programmes. “I agree with both counsels that the convict (Ms Kaboyo) who has pleaded guilty and refunded the money, demands a lenient sentence,” held the magistrate.

Kaboyo was convicted on two counts of abuse office and two counts of making documents on behalf of her then boss Amelia Kyambadde (former Principal Private Secretary to Museveni) without her authorisation.

This means that the charge sheet is now left with the trio former Health Minister Maj. Gen Jim Muhwezi, Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr Alex Kamugisha to battle the allegations of misappropriating Shs1.6 billion Gavi funds meant for immunisation.

Shortly after her release Koboyo said: “It is true I asked for the Shs250m when I was still working in State House but that money was deposited on my account when I had resigned. The same money was not used and when they reported me, I just refunded it.” The said money was refunded in 2006.

Charges

According to the summary facts Mr Asubo read to court, on two different dates, Kaboyo wrote letters addressing them to the then Health minister Muhwezi claiming they were written by her boss Kyambadde whereas not.

In the said letters, she requisitioned for funds to train youths who would carry out sensitisation programmes on polio immunisation on grounds that the public had stigmatised the exercise as being harmful to their babies.