Magistrate imprisoned for disguising as woman to write bar exams

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Magistrate imprisoned for disguising as woman to write bar exams

The Judicial Service Commission in Uganda has sacked a grade one magistrate, Mr Ammaari Musa Ssemwogerere who was recently appointed, after he was remanded to Lira main prison on charges of impersonation and uttering a false document, Ugandan newspaper, Daily Monitor reports.

According to the report published on Saturday, information from the director of the Law Development Centre in Uganda, Mr Frank Nigel Othembi indicated that Mr Ssemwogerere was on July 26, 2023, found sitting an examination for one of the Bar Course students, known as Trene Mutonyi at the LD, Lira campus in Uganda.

“We have since determined that the said ‘Mukisa Anthony’ [names he used as an imposter] is actually Ssemwogerere Ammaari Musa, a recently appointed Magistrate Grade I in the Uganda Judiciary,” Mr Othembi said in the statement on Friday.

“We have brought this matter to the attention of the Judicial Service Commission and the Judiciary. We reported the matter to the Police and he has been charged with two counts of forgery, one count of impersonation, and remanded to prison until August 3, 2023,” he added.

According to a statement from the Chief Registrar of Uganda, Sarah Langa Siu, Mr. Ssemwogerere, who was one of 86 people appointed on June 12, 2023, to the position of Magistrate Grade One on probation by the Judicial Service Commission, will not be employed because his offence violates both the Penal Code Act and the code of conduct for judicial officers.

“The Judiciary would like to inform the general public that Mr Ssemwogerere Ammaari Musa, one of the newly recruited Magistrates Grade I will not be employed into the Judiciary Service,” the statement from the Judiciary statement read in part.

The statement adds, “Earlier today [July 28th], Mr Ssemwogerere was remanded to Lira Main Prison having been charged at the Lira Chief Magistrates Court on two counts of uttering a false document contrary to Section 351 of the Penal Code Act and Impersonation contrary to Section 381 of the Penal Code Act. The Judiciary reiterates its commitment to upholding its core values of independence, impartiality, transparency, professionalism, integrity, and accountability.”