Ex–Lands Ministry Official Ateng Francis Jailed 3 Years For Massive Land Fraud

By Our Reporter 

The Anti-Corruption Court has convicted and sentenced Mr. Ateng Francis, a former Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Lands’ Lira Zonal Office, to three years in prison after finding him guilty on multiple corruption-related charges.

Ateng was convicted on eleven counts, including abuse of office, fraudulent procurement of a certificate of title, forgery, uttering false documents, and conspiracy to commit a felony, among others.

According to prosecution, the offences were committed in January 2018 while Ateng was employed at the Ministry of Lands in Lira District. Working with accomplices, he allegedly abused his office to facilitate the fraudulent acquisition and sale of land belonging to Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).

Investigators found that Ateng irregularly processed a special certificate of title, arranged for the separation and allocation of URC land, identified brokers, and sold the property to private individuals without following lawful procedures for disposing of government assets.

Court further heard that Ateng and his co-accused forged the signature of the then URC Managing Director, which they used to authenticate false documents used in the transfer and sale of the land.

One of his accomplices, Ocen Joseph, had earlier pleaded guilty to the same charges and was handed a two-year custodial sentence.

The conviction follows a 2022 directive by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni instructing the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working jointly with the CID and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), to investigate corruption within Uganda Railways Corporation and prosecute all individuals implicated in the fraudulent disposal of its land.

Authorities say the sentencing of Ateng marks another significant step in ongoing efforts to dismantle corruption networks within government institutions and safeguard public assets.