Parliament's Wanyaka jailed for 10 years for embezzling Shs 882m
- Written by Observer Media Ltd
The former director of parliament budget office Samuel Wanyaka will spend ten years in jail for embezzling over Shs 822m.
Wanyaka was sentenced this morning by Justice Paul Mugamba of the Anti-Corruption Court. The Judge said that the sentence was to send a signal to Wanyaka and others that “crime does not pay and that impunity should not be given a mere slap on the cheek.”
Wanyaka was last week Thursday, found guilty of all three counts of embezzlement, abuse of office and false accounting. Presiding judge Mugamba then reserved the sentencing for today.
The Inspectorate of Government, the lead prosecutor in the case contends that between August 13 and December 19 2014, Wanyaka stole Shs 822m before making fictitious and false accountability for over Shs 682. Shs 140m was not accounted for.
The money, which Wanyaka had access to by virtue of his position, was meant for service delivery surveys in the country.
For the charge of abuse of office, the judge sentenced Wanyaka to five years, three years for the charge of embezzlement and for the charge of false accounting by a public officer; he was sentenced to two years. The judge said the convict will serve all the sentences concurrently.
Basing on section 46 of the Anti-Corruption Act, court went on to ban Wanyaka from being employed by any government entity for the next ten years. He was also ordered to refund all the money he embezzled.
The judge noted that Wanyaka held a senior position in Parliament and that it was hoped that in due time, he would disperse the funds he received for the intended activities in vain. He added that Wanyaka did not only for once, twice or thrice but for many times made false accountability, receipts and used individuals to justify the loss.
The judge further held that fictitious accountability was done by Wanyaka as a cover up for the unaccounted money and that the same ended up onto his Stanbic bank account located at Forest Mall Lugogo, Kampala.
The judge advised Wanyaka to appeal against his sentence if he felt dissatisfied within 14 days from today.