Geoffrey Obura, 50, the Deputy Academic Registrar of Gulu School of Clinical Officers has been charged with the theft of academic transcripts of former students.
Obura on Tuesday appeared before Gulu Chief Magistrate’s court presided over by Deogratious Ssejemba.
Prosecution led by William Bayo alleged that on November 25, 2014 while Obura who was in-charge of the office of the Academic Registrar, 39 transcripts that were issued by Uganda Allied Health Examinations (UAHED) went missing.
Bayo argued that Obura should be held liable because he was acting on the full capacity of the institution’s Academic Registrar.
Bayo suspects that Obura issued the documents to some of the students who had outstanding fee balances to clear.
According to Bayo, the transcripts in question went missing when the suspect who was left to perform the duty of the Academic Registrar, Tadeo Mulumba, who was away to attend the burial of his mother in Jinja district.
In his testimony, Mulumba told court he left office on November 25 to go and attend his mother’s funeral leaving Obura with full authority and power to perform the duty of Academic Registrar.
Mulumba says he only returned on December 2, to assume office.
The Principal of the institution, Grace Jennifer Aninge, who also testified in the case against Obura says she was aware that the suspect (Obura) was granted permission perform Mulumba’s task.
Among other tasks according to Aninge are; organizing internal exams and issuing the academic documents to the former students who completed in the year 2014.
However Obura denied any wrongdoing saying his consent is clear and denied the accusations. His lawyer, Geoffrey Anyuru, questioned the credibility of Aninge, one the witnesses saying she lied about her age.
Chief Magistrate Ssejemba, adjourned the case to July 28 when the last witness is expected to testify.
