A former principal assistant secretary at the Ministry of Lands’ Zonal Office in Lira District has been remanded over allegations of fraud linked to the sale of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) land, the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala ruled on Friday.
Francis Ateng, 49, appeared before Chief Magistrate Rachel Nakyazze and was remanded to Luzira Prison until November 7, 2025, when he will return for sentencing.
Ateng faces 11 charges related to land fraud, including abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, forgery, uttering false documents, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The alleged offences concern URC land in FRV 2020 Folio 13, Plots 42-50 Mukwano Road in Lira City, and are said to have occurred between January 2018 and 2020.
He was jointly charged with businessman Joseph Ocen, who initially impersonated URC Managing Director Charles Kateba but later became a state witness following a plea bargain. Ocen had earlier admitted to impersonation.
Court heard that on January 17, 2018, Ocen falsely represented himself as Mr Kateba and signed an application for a special certificate of title and statutory declaration for the Mukwano Road land at the Lands Ministry Zonal Office in Lira.
Ateng denied conspiring with Ocen, but evidence presented by eight prosecution witnesses convinced the court of his involvement in facilitating the issuance of the certificate and in the allocation and separation of the URC land.
Documents, including Ocen’s National Identity, email, and TIN number, were used to complete the application.
Robert Okello, a subordinate of Ateng, allegedly uploaded the falsified title documents onto the Uganda National Land Information System.
Handwriting experts and URC officials, including Managing Director Kateba and Secretary Grace Okot, testified that the documents were forged.
‘I find prosecution has discharged its burden. I find Ateng Francis guilty on counts of abuse of office; fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title; multiple counts of forgery; uttering a false document; and conspiracy to commit a felony. You have a right of appeal on conviction,’ Chief Magistrate Nakyazze ruled.