The Director of Public Prosecution Jane Frances Abodo has withdrawn corruption charges against the Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi.

The matter that had been scheduled for hearing on 9th March 2021 by the Anticorruption Court Judge, Magret Tibulya was abruptly rescheduled  and the accused persons called by phone yesterday to be present in Court today for the withdrawal proceedings against one out of 10 accused persons. Only three were able to turn up including the now cleared Chairperson Ntambi.
 
Representing the DPP was State Attorney Inzikuri Gloria who then presented withdrawal forms to Justice Tibulya saying that she had instructions from the DPP to discontinue proceedings against Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi. Justice Tibulya  received the withdrawal forms and discharged Muwebwa;  she adjourned the trial of the remaining nine acccused to 9th/March/2021 to start.
 
DPP did not give reasons for her decision.
 
Ntambi was, in October 2020, charged and remanded to Luzira prison for a week on fraud and corruption charges.
She was then granted bail of UGX 3.5 Million which has to be refunded now. Ntambi had been accused of having committed the offence between July 2018 and April 2019 at EOC offices in Kampala, her being the chairperson of the commission, neglected her duty of directing the affairs and administration of the commission thereby leading to gross mismanagement of the commission funds.
 
Ntambi had been jointly charged with nine other former employees of the commission who are on interdiction and out on bail pending trial. The nine suspects include; former senior personal secretary to the chairperson, Agnes Enid Kamahoro, Moses Mugabe (senior monitoring evaluation officer), Harriet Byangire (senior accountant), Ronnie Kwesiga (Acting accounts assistant), Evans Jjemba (Principal Compliance officer), Manasseh Kwihangana (senior compliance officer), Sarah Nassanga (office attendant) and Sunday Nicholas Olwor.
 
It is alleged that between November 2018 and April 2019 at EOC offices in Kampala District, Mugabe, Mujuni, Jjemba, and Ntambi being employed in the commission in their respective positions conspired to defraud the government of UGX 35 million.
 
According to prosecution, in November 2018 at EOC offices, Mujuni being the secretary to the commission approved payment of Shs35m purportedly for undertaking an audit exercise of Rural Electrification Programme in Uganda which caused financial loss to the government.
 
Prosecution alleges that in December 2018, Kamahoro, Mujuni and Olwor, abused their respective offices when they fraudulently processed, requisitioned, approved, and forwarded for payment of Shs19 million purportedly for development.
 
According to prosecution, between January 24 and April 2019, Kamahoro and Nassanga stole more than Shs13million and Nassanga alone another Shs13 million from EOC.