The former Soroti University secretary, Ruth Etibot Achimo, accused of diverting sh1.6b meant for the staff, has been granted bail.

The money was meant for employees' allowances, rent, retainer fees, inland travel disbursement and legal fees.

Last month, Achimo’s bail was cancelled by the Anti-Corruption Court judge, Margaret Tibulya, who remanded her to Luzira Women’s Prison for skipping bail.

However, when the case resumed on Friday, the same judge releases her (Achimo) on the previous bail terms and warned her against absconding court. Achimo had initially been granted a cash bail of sh10m.

“I hope you have learnt a lesson for the time you have spent on remand for breach of bail terms and conditions,” Tibulya said.

Achimo and three others are battling charges of corruption, diversion of public resources and false accounting alongside three senior government officials.

They are senior law enforcement officer at Bugembe Town Council Steven Mwembe, Lyatonde district water engineer Francis Kiwanuka and principal of Barlonyo Agro-Technical Institute in Lira James Mugambe.

Allegations

The prosecution alleges that the duo between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, at Soroti University diverted sh513.4m meant for capital development to the payment of employee allowances and inland travels for their own and other employee’s benefit.

It is also alleged that in the same period and place diverted sh69.6m for the institution’s employees’ rent for the benefit of Joseph Esonyu and Chrisams Designers Limited.

They are also accused of diverting sh1b to the payment of disbursement, retainer and legal fees in respect to short-term legal consultancy services for the benefit of Okurut and Company Advocates.

Prosecution alleges that engineer Kiwanuka in May 2017, in abuse of the authority of his office, did an arbitrary act prejudicial to the interest of his employer when he regularly instructed Jose Service Garage to deliver motor vehicle maintenance services to Lyatonde in violation of the established Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) laws, regulations and procedures.

It is alleged that Mugabe on May 9, 2016, at Barlonyo Agro-Technical Institute in Lira district, being employed as the principal and charged with the receipt, custody and management of funds meant for a start-up grant, knowingly furnished a false statement of accountability of over sh44m to the permanent secretary of Ministry of Education.