The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court has sentenced two former Ibanda District officials to 18 months in prison for illegally selling government forest land.
The convicted individuals are Abertc Matsiko Mutwingire, the former Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Ibanda District, and Tom Nuwagira, the District Environment Officer.
The pair was found guilty of unlawfully selling 13 acres of the Ibanda Local Forest Reserve, a protected area meant to preserve the region’s natural ecosystem.
Presiding over the case, Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga ruled that the two officials grossly abused their offices and violated public trust by engaging in the illegal transaction.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court also ordered the duo to pay shs10,740,000 as restitution.
The conviction follows an investigation and arrest carried out by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, which charged the two with abuse of office and mismanagement of public resources.
The unit, under the Office of the President, has been instrumental in pursuing high-profile cases of corruption and mismanagement across the country.
According to prosecutors, Mutwingire and Nuwagira conspired to sell the protected land to private individuals, despite its legal status as a government forest reserve.
Their actions not only breached the law but also threatened the environmental conservation efforts in the region.
