A top Internal Security Organisation (ISO) officer and three Pakistan nationals have been convicted for selling and illegally possessing COVID-19 motor vehicle stickers.
The convicts are an ISO officer Stephen Ariong Osikol 52, a resident of Gombe ‘A,’ Gombe ward in Wakiso district, Ali Sabir 58, Ali Noshad 42, and Imran Behlum Usama 22.
Osikol is an event and protocol officer in ISO, assigned to aid the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) in the distribution of COVID 19 motor vehicle stickers.
His co-convicts Sabir and Noshad, residents of Ntinda are directors of Alibaba Restaurant and Jambo Auto Motors, respectively, while Usama is a director of JP Africa Jambo Auto Mart aboding at Naalaya Estate in Kampala district.
The convicts appeared before the Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate Dorothy Bagyenyi and confessed to four counts of breach of trust by a person employed in the public service and unlawful possession of government stores.
The charges contravene sections 113 and 316 (2) of the Penal Code Act Cap 120 of the Penal Code Act.
Upon confession, the learned Magistrate ruled that she had convicted the pair on their own plea of guilty.
“From your own admission, I hereby convict and remand you to Kitalya Prison till May 8, 2020, when you will return to this court for your sentence,” Bagyenyi ruled.
Prior, the prosecution led by Edwin Amanya entreated court to give a deterrent sentence to the convicts so as to bar would-be offenders from committing the same.
“The convicts violated the president’s orders aimed at preventing COVID 19, we, therefore, pray for a deterrent sentence,” Amanya said.
On mitigation, the convicts entreated court to give them a lenient sentence saying they did not intend to break the law.