Francis Ateng, the former Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Lands, Lira Zonal Office, has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison by the Anti-Corruption Court for abuse of office and related offences.

Ateng was found guilty on 11 counts, including abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a title, forgery, uttering false documents, and conspiracy to commit a felony. The offences are connected to Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land along Mukwano Road in the former Lira Municipality, committed between January 2018 and 2020.

Court findings indicate that Ateng, together with others who remain at large, facilitated the issuance of a special certificate of title, subdivided and allocated URC land, and sold it to private individuals through brokers, bypassing the established procedures for the disposal of government property.

Delivering the ruling on Monday, November 24, Chief Magistrate Racheal Nakyazze considered Ateng’s plea for leniency but weighed it against the gravity of the offences. She imposed a custodial sentence of 2 years and 9 months, slightly below the maximum three-year penalty.

For Counts 3 and 4, which involved the fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, Ateng was sentenced to 1 year and 11 months, reduced from the possible two years. The magistrate noted that the illegal title “did not reach the hands of the wrong elements,” which justified a lighter sentence.

Ateng also received nine months for each forgery charge and six months for uttering false documents, contrary to Sections 351 and 347 of the Penal Code Act. No additional sentence was imposed for conspiracy to commit a felony, with the magistrate explaining that punishing both the agreement and the resulting offence would be redundant.

The court deducted 31 days that Ateng had spent on remand and ordered all sentences to run concurrently, meaning he will serve a total of 2 years and 9 months.

During sentencing, State Attorney Viola Tusingwire urged the court to hand down strict penalties, noting that one of the offences carries a life sentence. She stated that Ateng, as a public officer, had a duty to protect government property but instead participated in a scheme to defraud URC of its land. She added that his refusal to plead guilty prolonged the trial and that a custodial sentence was necessary in the public interest.

Ateng’s legal team had requested leniency, arguing that the sentence should allow for rehabilitation. They highlighted his 23 years of government service, clean record, and family responsibilities.

URN