Robert Jackson Macheri, a district physical planner in Bushenyi, has been sentenced to two years in prison for forgery. He falsified receipts totaling over Shs66 million for inspection and approval licenses.
Macheri presented these counterfeit receipts to Mota-Engil Africa, claiming they were for the inspection and approval of a campsite at Nashonga and a quarry campsite at Bugalama.
The fraudulent actions led Mota-Engil Africa to incur losses exceeding Shs66 million, as the payments were not reflected in the district’s official financial records.
Consequently, the developer had to pay an additional Shs5 million to obtain the necessary inspection licenses.
Principal Magistrate Grade One, Christopher Opit, noted that all evidence pointed to Macheri’s involvement, with no other plausible explanations.
The magistrate emphasized that Macheri wasted the court’s time and resources by absconding before the judgment, indicating a guilty conscience.
Macheri was sentenced to two years for each of the first two counts and one year and six months for each of the subsequent counts, with sentences to run concurrently.
This concurrent sentencing means Macheri will serve a total of two years in prison.
The court’s decision underscores the seriousness of forgery and abuse of public trust within local government positions.
Such actions not only defraud companies like Mota-Engil Africa but also undermine the integrity of public institutions.