By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Three Lira district officials have been convicted and sentenced to serve four years in prison, while a private individual was sentenced to one year in prison.
The group that was sentenced on Thursday, 30th July, 2026 by the Anti-Coruption Cout sitting in Kampala are; Opio Francis – District Staff Surveyor, Otike Pabius – District Natural Resources Officer, Ogwanga Joel – Cartographer at the Ministry of Lands, Lira Zonal Office.
Atoo Rebecca – Sister to Opio Francis, in whose name the fraudulently acquired land was registered was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment because she was not a public officer but facilitated the fraud.
According to the IGG, between February and August 2019, Lira District Local Government initiated the process of obtaining a certificate of title for its land at Ireda Estate.
During the survey process, Opio Francis and Otike Pabius deliberately excluded a portion of the land. With the assistance of Ogwanga Joel, they fraudulently procured a Freehold Certificate of Title for Plot 3–5 Ben Emor Road, Ireda Estate, covering the excluded land, and registered it in the name of Atoo Rebecca.
After the title was obtained, Atoo Rebecca sold the land to Olam Pius, with all the convicted persons participating in and witnessing the transaction.
On 20 June 2023, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit working with CID and ODPP arraigned the accused before the Anti-Corruption Division.
Upon evaluating the evidence, the Court found them guilty and convicted them on charges of Abuse of Office, Fraudulent Procurement of a Certificate of Title, and Conspiracy to Defraud. The three public officials were each sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and will not hold any public office for the next 10 years, while Atoo Rebecca was sentenced to one year in prison.
