Shs1billion Chogm cash sunk in water

MPs investigating the alleged abuse of billions of Chogm money also accused ministry officials led by their Permanent Secretary, Mr David Obong, of using Chogm as a conduit to misuse public money since their department had no link to the summit’s preparatory process.

Ministry of Water officials were yesterday thrown out of the Public Accounts Committee for failure to account for Shs1.06 billion and alleged forgery of documents for the funds they received during the preparations for the 2007 Commonwealth Summit in Kampala.

MPs investigating the alleged abuse of billions of Chogm money also accused ministry officials led by their Permanent Secretary, Mr David Obong, of using Chogm as a conduit to misuse public money since their department had no link to the summit’s preparatory process. “We have only given these people a Christmas present, otherwise, the next time they appear here without accountability, they will be arrested for stealing public funds,” Mr Nandala Mafabi, the committee chairperson, said. “They have given us forged documents (cashbooks) to justify the expenditure, yet all the activities under Ministry of Water were not done during Chogm.”

Unjustified expenditure
The officials also failed to justify the expenditure of more than Shs364.3 million in Chogm balances after MPs questioned circumstances under which the ministry failed to close a Chogm account, contrary the Accountant General’s standing orders. “This ministry did not add any value to the Chogm preparations; they were just given free money,” Mr Oduman Okello (FDC, Bukedea) said, adding, “We cannot proceed when the cashbook cannot balance and some figures are missing yet all this is public funds at stake.”

In respect to the procurement of a Shs515.8 million weather radar at Entebbe Airport, the committee has asked the Police to investigate officials in the Meteorological Department (Mr S.A.K Magezi and Mr Vensar Baryomu) after reports that they connived with the supplier to defraud taxpayers’ money.

The involvement of the Criminal Investigations Department came after it emerged that Mr Baryomu used his private email (yahoo.com) to solicit bids from the five companies which competed for a Shs515.8 million radar deal, in total violation of government’s procurement procedures. On whether the Ministry of Water was relevant in the Chogm process, Mr Obong told the committee: “Mr Chairman most people including myself didn’t understand the relevance of this ministry in the Chogm process as most of the activities were approved late….”

Human errors
Asked whether he was in position to proceed with inconsistencies in the accountability of Chogm funds to the ministry, Mr Obong said: “These were human errors, sometimes you may think you have read through the document, yet it’s not the case I request that you give us more time to prepare for the explanations.” While Mr Obong had requested the committee to proceed with other queries, David Bahati (Ndorwa West), rejected his appeal. “How can they keep money for six months when we do not even have drugs in some health facilities? It seems they had other motives and Police should investigate these people,” he said.

The committee learnt that some Chogm equipment like the hydrogen generator that was bought at Shs41.9 million failed to function. MPs were concerned that in order to dispose off the Chogm money, officials in the ministry spent Shs22 million on climate change and mitigation workshop in May 2008, Sh19 million on hiring hotel facilities and meals and Shs62.3 million to buy weather balloons.