Bicycle Scam Convict Handed Himself in Days after Judgment– Source

Sam Emorut Erongot, the former Commissioner in charge of Policy and Planning in the Local Government Ministry, surrendered himself to authorities in Luzira, to serve his 13-year jail sentence.  

Erongot was convicted together with John Muhanguzi Kashaka, Henry Bamutura, Adam Aluma, Robert Mwebaze and Timothy Musherure, for causing a financial loss of 4.2 billion Shillings to the government after misappropriated money meant for the purchase of bicycles for Local council leaders across the country.  

The government had planned to purchase 70,000 bicycles for Local Council and Parish Chairpersons ahead of 2011 general elections.  But Erongot and the other co-accused persons reportedly contracted a sham company, Ammam Industrial Tools and Equipment Limited -AITEL to purchase the bicycles in India.   

In a conviction judgement past slightly more than five years ago, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire highlighted that the company which was allegedly awarded the contract to supply the bicycles was nonexistent. The judge referred to the directors of AITEL as rogues and conmen, noting that their supposed firm was formed purely to facilitate fraud.

As a result, Erongot was jailed for 13-years, Kashaka, the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Henry Bamutura, the former Principal Accountant were jailed for 10 years. However, the convicts challenged the sentences describing them as harsh and not valid in law.    

But the same sentences were upheld by the Court of Appeal last month, sending the three officials to Luzira Prison to start serving the punishment.  But by the time the Court Registrar Dr Agnes Nkonge finished reading the three Judgements, Erongot, who had spent five years out on bail has disappeared. URN has since learnt that Erongot took himself to Luzira Prison a few days after he was reported missing.  

A source who preferred anonymity noted that before Prosecution could go back to court to seek for his warrant of arrest, they received information that Erongot had peacefully taken himself to prison. The source explained that Erongot had reportedly gone back to his home to clear some family-related issues before surrendering himself to prison authorities. 

The spokesperson of the Uganda Prisons Services Frank Baine confirmed that Erongot is in their custody in Luzira and that their records never captured him as a missing convict because he returned to prison on the same day, his colleagues were returned to serve their respective sentences.