Three officials from Lira District Local Government have each been sentenced to four years in prison after they were found guilty of fraudulently acquiring a land title belonging to the district, while a private individual who facilitated the scheme was sentenced to one year in jail.
The Anti-Corruption Division handed down the sentences on Thursday following the conviction of Opio Francis, the District Staff Surveyor, Otike Pabius, the District Natural Resources Officer, and Ogwanga Joel, a Cartographer at the Ministry of Lands’ Lira Zonal Office. Atoo Rebecca, the sister of Opio Francis, was also convicted and sentenced to one year in prison for her role in the fraud.
Court heard that between February and August 2019, Lira District Local Government began the process of securing a certificate of title for its land at Ireda Estate. During the survey exercise, Opio and Otike deliberately excluded a section of the land from the district’s title.
With the assistance of Ogwanga, the trio fraudulently obtained a Freehold Certificate of Title for Plot 3–5 Ben Emor Road, Ireda Estate, covering the excluded land, and registered it in the name of Atoo Rebecca.
Prosecution further established that after the title was issued, Atoo sold the land to Olam Pius, with all the convicted persons participating in and witnessing the transaction.
The four were arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Division on June 20, 2023, following investigations conducted jointly by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
After evaluating the evidence, the court found the accused guilty of Abuse of Office, Fraudulent Procurement of a Certificate of Title, and Conspiracy to Defraud.
In addition to the four-year prison terms, the three public officials were barred from holding any public office for the next 10 years.
Atoo Rebecca received a one-year custodial sentence after the court found that, although she was not a public officer, she knowingly facilitated the fraudulent acquisition and sale of the land.
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