Africa-Press – Uganda. The former secretary general of Uganda Red Cross Society, Richard Michael Nataka, has been handed a seven-year jail term for defrauding his employer of more than Shs1.2b in 2013.
The money was meant for construction of the African Youth Leadership and Training Centre (Namakwa) in Mukono District. Nataka was also ordered to return more than Shs1b to the government and was banned from holding any public office for the next 10 years.
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Nataka was found guilty of seven counts including embezzlement, causing financial loss, abuse of office, and four separate counts of conspiracy to defraud.
Prosecution alleges that between January and September 2013, two companies, Jesani Construction Company and Buki Enterprises, were awarded a contract for the construction of Namakwa project by Uganda Red Cross Society under the stewardship of Nataka.
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However, Nataka approved payment of only Shs200m out of more than Shs1b meant for the construction to Jesani Construction Company, which had done all the work and the rest was given to Buki enterprises. According to Magistrate Nabende, Nataka doesn’t dispute the fraudulent payment.
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