Kampala — Uganda Prisons Council intends to punish prison officers who desert the force to take up jobs in Iraq.

Prisons Chief, Johnson Byabashaija warns that those implicated will face 4 years imprisonment and demotion.

This follows an incident where 10 prison warders were arrested as they were illegally attempting to desert the force for Iraq.

Byabashaija also reveals that the prisons service has submitted 500 names of the inmates to the president for pardon.

He says that these include petty offenders, the elderly prisoners and breast feeding mothers on petty offences.