Court orders Agago School to Refund Shs 1 Million to Former Board Members

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1638 EAT on Monday 4 August 2025

Gulu High Court has directed Adilang Senior Secondary School in Agago District, northern Uganda, to refund Shs 1 million to four of its former board members. The court ruled that the funds had been unlawfully collected under a flawed magistrate’s order.

The dispute traces back to 2022, when four board members of Adilang Senior Secondary School—Harriet Aloyoto, Dominic Otto, Joe Olweny Ogal, and John Benjamin Ocan—were charged with embezzling school funds in Patongo Magistrate’s Court. They denied the allegations and were released on bail.

However, the case faced repeated delays due to prosecutorial setbacks. By December 2022, the prosecution claimed the matter had been “resolved through mediation,” asserting that the accused had agreed to pay Shs 1 million to the school as part of the settlement.

However, no evidence or official record of the alleged mediation—nor any signed consent from the accused—was ever presented in court. Despite this, the following month the magistrate issued a consent order requiring each of the four to pay Shs 250,000. A subsequent notice threatened arrest in the event of non-payment.

The former board members petitioned the High Court, challenging the legality of the order.

Last Thursday, Justice George Okello ruled in their favour, stating that the magistrate had erred by ordering compensation without a conviction. He noted that the accused had been denied a fair hearing and had not consented to any settlement agreement.

Justice Okello further emphasized that reconciliation in criminal proceedings must adhere strictly to the law, and that due process cannot be bypassed, even in cases purportedly resolved through mediation.

As a result, Justice Okello annulled the magistrate’s order and directed Adilang Senior Secondary School to refund the Shs 1 million to the four former board members within 14 days. However, the court declined to award legal costs to the applicants.

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