The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Buganda Road Magistrates Court has remanded lawyer Jude Ogik to Luzira prison on charges related to theft of 1.2 billion shillings meant to compensate the Lugwar Clan over their land.
Ogik was on Monday afternoon charged with six counts including theft by an agent and uttering a false document and procuring execution of document by false pretence before the Grade One Magistrate Siena Owomugisha.
The Court heard that on November 28th 2017 and January 14th 2019, Ogik while using his Centenary Bank account in Kitgum district stole 1.2 billion, money meant to compensate the Lugwar clan after their land located in Pajimo parish was used by Uganda Peoples Defense Forces.
It is also alleged that Ogik forged handwritings and signatures of members of the Lugwar Clan to the Uganda Law Council Secretary purporting that it represents the true records of the attendance list of the beneficiaries whereas not.
Court has also heard that Ogik on September 15th 2019 in Kampala district instructed Moses Odongo, a surveyor with DNA Surveyors and Engineers to write a false invoice of 250million shillings to purport as if he was required to pay that amount yet there was no such a claim from those surveyors.
According to information obtained by Uganda Radio Network-URN, Ogik was contacted by the claimants of the Pajimo community land in Kitgum district to follow up compensation for the land in question with Ministry of Defense.
As a result, the land was successfully secured and about two billion shillings was paid into the account of the lawyer to pay the claimants. The sources have also told Uganda Radio Network that Ogik received the money and only paid about 900 million shillings to some of the claimants and allegedly swindled the biggest part of the compensation.
Ogik however denied the charges read to him and was remanded until September 9th 2022 for him to apply for bail. This was after the State Attorney Lydia Nakato informed Court that investigations are complete and a hearing date be fixed for them to try him.
Once a lawyer is found guilty of offenses related to stealing monies of their clients, they risk being suspended from practice by the governing body the Uganda Law Council.
Recently, the Principal Judge Dr. Flavian Zeija made a verbal proposal to the Law Council to suspend indefinitely lawyers who steal clients’ money and those who are found of misconduct.
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