By Rachael Najjuma
22nd March 2023
The former Fort Portal City Clerk, Moses Otimong has appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court on charges of abuse of office, embezzlement, and causing financial loss.
Otimong appeared on Wednesday before the Anti-corruption Court Grade One Magistrate, Esther Asiimwe.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and applied for bail and presented sureties.
Asiimwe granted him noncash bail of Shs 5 million and directed him to deposit his passport in court.
She later adjourned the matter to April 27, 2023, when it will come up for mention.
Otimong’s troubles started on October 6 last year when he was arrested on the orders of the Deputy Inspector General of Government, Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe while in Fort Portal for a public hearing that was organized by the Inspectorate of Government-IG.
Munira Ali, the Spokesperson of the Inspectorate of Government says that during the public hearing, Twinomugisha received several complaints about Otimong from locals and stakeholders accusing him of corruption, mismanagement of public funds, and misuse of office.
Otimong had been invited to be part of the hearing but did not attend claiming that he was away in Kampala to meet the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government. But it was later established that the Permanent Secretary wasn’t expecting him.
Otimong was briefly detained in the Regional Inspectorate office in Bukwali, where he was interrogated. He was later handed to police and detained at Fort Portal police station before he was released on police bond.
On November 4, 2022, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya interdicted Otimong from duty citing the investigations by the Inspectorate of Government into the allegations of mismanagement of public resources and abuse of office.
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