Kampala
The Director of Parliament Budget Office was yesterday charged with corruption.
Mr Samuel Wanyaka, who had an arrest warrant order hanging around his neck, brought himself to the Anti-Corruption Court where the Chief Magistrate Sarah Langa Siu read to him three charges of embezzlement, abuse of office and false accounting. He denied the charges.
The Chief Magistrate released him on a cash bail of Shs6 million. His four sureties, one of them Budadiri East MP Isaiah Sasaga, committed to a non-cash bond of Shs200 million each.
The court granted him bail but ordered him not to access his office at Parliament until investigations into the case were complete.
The order barring him from accessing his office was prompted by the request of Mr Sydney Asubo, the head of legal affairs at the office of the Inspector General of Government. Mr Asubo argued that the suspect could interfere with the witnesses and evidence since he is the boss in the said department of Parliament.
Mr Isaac Kimaze, the lead defence lawyer for Mr Wanyaka, asked court to ignore the IGG’s fears, saying they were baseless. Court ordered Mr Wanyaka to deposit his passport with the court’s registrar but he can get it back for travel upon communication to the court.
Mr Wanyaka’s voluntary appearance in court yesterday was done on the very day police was set to arrest him.
On Wednesday last week, court issued an arrest warrant for him after the IGG reported that he had disappeared for more than a week.
Allegations against wanyaka
Prosecution alleges that Mr Wanyaka stole Shs822 million meant for conducting service delivery surveys in Uganda. He is alleged to have committed the offence between August 13 and December 9 last year.
Under the count of abuse of office, prosecution alleges that on various dates between August 13, 2012 and December 9, 2013 at Parliament, Mr Wanyaka abused his office when he received more than Shs822 million meant for service delivery in Uganda but used the money for his personal gain.
On the count of false accounting, the IGG alleges that Mr Wanyaka knowingly made false returns for more than Shs822 million. He was ordered to return to court on June 23, for mention of his case.