Uganda: Judiciary Revokes Appointment of Magistrate Involved in Cheating Exams Scandal

The Judicial Service Commission has revoked the appointment of a recently appointed grade one magistrate Ssemwogerere Musa Ammaari after he was sent to prison on charges of impersonation, forgery and uttering false documents.

The Judiciary Chief registrar, Sarah Langa Siu, said in a press statement that the Judiciary Service will not employ the accused who is among the 87 grade one magistrates appointed on June 12, by the Judicial Service Commission.

"The Judiciary is finalizing the appointment process of the said officers after which they will be sworn in. The core principles in the code of conduct for the judicial officers is integrity which is a bedrock to the proper discharge of the judicial office," says the judiciary registrar.

On Friday, a grade one magistrate in Lira City remanded to Lira Government prison, Musa Ammaari Ssemwogerere, a newly appointed grade one magistrate after he was allegedly caught sitting an exam at Law Development Centre Lira using a false name.

Prosecution told court the accused on the day of July 26th, 2023 entered an examination room at Law Development Centre in Lira using a fake Identity card and documents bearing names of Antony Mukisa, allegedly signed by the Academic Registrar.

Ammaari appeared before the grade one magistrate, Sylvia Kampire and was charged with three different counts including impersonation, forgery and uttering false documents.

He however denied the charges against him, before Magistrate Kampire ruled that he be remanded to Lira Government Prison until August 3rd, 2023.

Herbert Walusimbi, the senior Legal officer at Law Development Centre Lira told NilePost the accused first took off from the examination room leaving behind his documents.

"The institution has a strong mechanism of detecting any form of malpractice. Because of that strong system, we were able to trace Ssemwogerere, he ran away and was subsequently apprehended," says Walusimbi

Walusimbi said the documents bearing names of Anthony Mukisa were then retrieved from the seat where Ssemwogerere was seated.

"We were able to check with our system and it confirmed that indeed he was not a student at the Bar Course," Walusimbi told NilePost.

A statement signed by the Law Development Centre, Frank Nigel Othembi, indicates Ssemwogerere, alias Mukisa Anthony was found fraudulently sitting an examination for a Bar Course Student identified as Irene Mutanyi at Law Development Centre Lira Campus.

"We have since determined that the said 'Mukisa Anthony' is actually Semwogerere Ammaari Musa, a recently appointed Magistrate Grade 1 in the Uganda Judiciary. We have brought this matter to the attention of the Judicial Service Commission and the Judiciary," the statement reads in part.

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