The chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Chairperson Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. However, she wants to buy time, as she negotiates favourable terms.
Sources around Ms Ntambi say she planned on skipping the court session on Wednesday on grounds that she is sick despite the fact she was seen and photographed at Speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s office at Parliament on Tuesday.
Sylvia Ntambi was directed to appear before the anti-corruption court on Wednesday September 30, 2020 at 9:00 Am to answer 25 graft charges.
She is the accused number 10 on the charge sheet. The 9 others appeared before the same court on 21st September to plead to the charges.
Sources close to the embattled EOC boss reveal that Sylvia Ntambi’s lawyers will table before court documents stating she was ill and unable to appear in person.
However, it emerged on Tuesday afternoon, that Ms Ntambi was at speaker Rebecca Kadaga’s office in person. She went to parliament to lobby for the Speaker’s protection from the looming prosecution.
Kadaga is a renowned defender for women, despite the fact that many have disappointed her by performing below par. Many women run to Kadaga when they face problems in their work citing witchhunt from their male colleagues.
However, Kadaga is not known for defending corruption. And it is unlikely she will this time round intervene to save Ms Ntambi from answering to charges levied against her.
Ms Ntambi and nine other employees of the commission face 25 counts of causing financial loss, conspiracy to defraud, embezzlement, corruption, and abuse of office.
Her co-accused are Ms Agnes Enid Kamahoro, 48, the senior personal secretary, Mr Moses Mugabe, 38, a senior monitoring and evaluation officer, Mr Mujuni Mpitsi, 49, secretary, Ms Harriet Byangire, 37, a senior accountant, Mr Ronnie Kwesiga, 33, acting accounts assistant, Mr Evans Jjemba, 35, principal compliance officer, Mr Manasseh Kwihangana, 39, a senior compliance officer.
Others are Ms Sarah Nassanga, 43, an office attendant and Mr Nicholas Sunday Olwor, 51, an undersecretary. The chief government prosecutor said Ms Ntambi’s negligence led to gross mismanagement of the commission’s funds between July 2018 and April 2019.
Ms Ntambi, Ms Kamahoro and Mr Mpitsi between January 6, 2019 and April 30, 2019, allegedly conspired to defraud government of more than Shs9m. Under the charge of abuse of office, Mr Mugabe, Mr Mpitsi and Mr Kwihangana are accused of abusing their authority when they fraudulently processed, requisitioned and approved Shs29m in January last year purportedly for undertaking sensitisation programmes in Karamoja Sub-region whereas not.
In a separate count, Ms Kamahoro, Mr Mpitsi, and Mr Olwor in December 2018, allegedly processed, requisitioned and approved Shs19m purportedly for development of the first and second draft of Equal Opportunities Commission HIV/Aids workplace policy, knowing their acts would cause government a financial loss.
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