MASAKA.Court in Masaka has acquitted a city councilor accused of conniving with the clerk to council to forge a council minute.
Alice Nanungi , the Nyendo Ward City Councilor, was acquitted by Masaka Grade One Magistrate Abdullah Kayiza after prosecution failed to present enough evidence indicating that Nannungi had conspired with the clerk to council Steven Luwaga and Tony Ssempijja Masaka City speaker then to forge council minutes.
Records before court indicate that in council meeting of May 26 ,2023 councilors voted several members on Finance and Works Standing Committee of the council in which Alice Nannungi was reportedly voted as the chairperson of Works committee which a section of councilor rejected saying that the item of voting standing committee was not on the agenda.
Council dragged the then speaker, Tonny Ssempijja, Clerk to council Steven Luwaga and Alice Nannungi the one that was reportedly elected as the works committee chairperson to court accusing them of forgery, utterance of false documents and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The presiding magistrate, Kayiza however, said that prosecution failed to prove to court that Nannungi had connived either with the speaker, Ssempijja or clerk to council Luwaga, since there was no single evidence linking the trio to have meet before or after the said meeting in which she was elected the works committee, given that she did not even attend the May 26th 2023 council meeting.
“I find the prosecution evidence not satisfactory, I also did not find Nannungi in the said forged minutes, as a person who attended, voted or signed anywhere on the said minutes of May 26,2024, I therefore don’t find any evidence showing Nannungi having conspired to commit a felony, I accordingly acquit Nannungi Alice on this count”. He ruled.
Court found that the second accused person Luwaga, has a case to answer on the counts of forgery and utterance of false documents putting him on defense though he was also acquitted on the offense of conspiracy to commit a felony.
“The council minutes tendered in court bares your signature (Luwaga) as the signatory, as to whether the minutes was forged or not this requires you to explain, also as to whether the document was falsely uttered or not, also requires explanations of the accused person,(Luwaga), for the third count of conspiracy to commit a felony, the prosecution has not produced any evidence to prove that Luwaga and Nanungi meet before or after the meeting or any other act that can prove the same, I acquit the accused and has no case to answer on that case, as regard for the first and second counts he has a case to answer, and he has to put in his defense.” he ruled
The court was adjourned to July 3 when Luwaga is expected to defend self on the two counts of forgery and utterance of false documents.
Nannungi said that the case was a politically motivated by her political opponent with in NUP party leadership in Masaka.
She said that it’s unfortunate that the case was fueled by colleagues within NUP leadership in Masaka City who are against her political ambitions of contesting for Nyendo/ Mukungwe Municipality legislator seat.
“I thank court, and my supporters for standing with me through the two years we have been struggling with these baseless cases, we are happy that court finally acquitted us and we can proceed with our political ambitions without fear of any court cases against us” she added.