Justice Margaret Tibulya of the Anti-Corruption Court has sentenced the Relationship Manager of the National Social Security Fund Mr Sooka Joseph to 16 years in prison over embezzlement of Shs152,720,670 from the workers’ fund.
In addition to the above, Mr Sooka was also convicted of Money Laundering of the embezzled funds, 4 counts of Forgery and 3 counts of Uttering False Documents.
Justice Tibulya who delivered the judgement in the absence of the convict since he absconded during the trial, sentenced Mr Sooka to 5 years imprisonment in respect of the Embezzlement charge, 5 years imprisonment for Money Laundering, 3 years’ imprisonment on each count of Forgery and 3 years imprisonment on each count of Uttering False Documents. The sentences are to run concurrently.
He has also been ordered to compensate NSSF the full sum of Shs152,720,670 and has further been barred from holding a public office for 10 years.
Meanwhile, the case was prosecuted by Chief State Attorney from the Office of Director Public Prosecution.
However, Mr Sooka’s judgements come at a time when NSSF’s is under investigation by the Parliament over allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
The Speaker of Parliament Anita Among ordered the investigations following a petition by a member of the pension fund Richard Job Matua.
Currently, the parliamentary probe has disclosed milled dirt within the Fund such as governance, power fights and political influence peddling at the entire entity.
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