Suspects Give Livestock to Magistrates for Bail Following continuous reports of corruption at Magistrates Courts across the country, the Anti-Corruption Coalition of Uganda has released a 32-page report showing the loopholes that need to be addressed to improve the judicial service. By Chris Semalemu-Semakula CISSY KAGABA, ACCU Executive Director displays the report CISSY KAGABA, ACCU Executive Director displays the report The report which follows a research that has been done for four months in districts of Jinja, Wakiso, Mbale, Iganga and Kampala shows that there are very many corruption incidences which mainly include bribery, extortion and conspiracy among Magistrates, Court Clerks, State Prosecutors, Police Officers and Prisons Wardens especially in rural areas. Presenting the report findings at ACCU offices in Ntinda, the Executive Director of ACCU, Cissy Kagaba said they had reported several cases of corruption to the Judicial Service Commission before but their complaints take long to be responded to and even when they are, the magistrates are only given transfers which is unfair. The report further indicates that in rural areas, the Magistrates come very late for work and sometimes absent themselves without clear explanations. Kagaba cited an example of Wakiso and Jinja Districts where the suspects who fail to raise money to secure bail are told to instead give in chicken, livestock and other foodstuffs. The report also recommends the Justice Service Commission to expeditiously finalize investigations involving judicial officers that have been transferred over allegations of corruption in order to prevent re-occurrence of such incidences and to punish those found guilty as stipulated by the Anti-Corruption Act.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 20:08:34 +0000