MPs throw out Rwabwogo over Chogm publicity cash

MPs investigating the alleged abuse of Chogm money yesterday kicked out businessmen Odrek Rwabwogo and Patrick Quarcoo, whose firms run the publicity campaign for the summit.

Mr Rwabwogo owns Terp Consults while Mr Quarcoo runs Saatchi&Saatchi. The two firms teamed to run a six-month media, publicity and advertising campaign ahead of the Chogm summit.

The duo, led by their lawyer, Mr Charles Odere, were thrown out of the Public Accounts Committee after they failed to defend the absence of their staff, whom the MPs say are key to explaining how Shs6 billion was spent on publicity.

“We had told them to bring Moses Zikusooka, who was Saatchi&Saatchi’s manager and Vincent Okema, the finance manager for Mr Rwabwogo’s Terp Consults. These were the implementers of the Chogm contract while Rwabwogo and his friend were only checking money on their bank accounts,” said Mr Nandala Mafabi, the committee chairman.

According to the MPs, the tendering process for the contract was unfair—with 16 other firms being “unfairly thrown out” in favour of Rwabwogo’s company. The MPs also question why the original publicity bill of Shs1.8 billion was inflated to Shs2.4 billion, besides lacking value-for-money.
There are also queries on Shs3.8 billion that the two firms allegedly raised through corporate sponsorship but spent at source without clearance from the Treasury.

The two men in December last year asked the committee to allow them explain their role in the deal following what they described as “press distortions” and lies against their companies.

But when the chance came yesterday, it was two hours of fruitless argument.
Their appeals to be let to proceed without the missing staff since they had left their companies fell on deaf ears.

“Okema left soon after Chogm and was not sacked, he left on his own. But if you want the exact dates, I will provide these details later,” Mr Rwabwogo said. “We wanted to give our explanation because there are people we employ, they read these negative stories in the media and they think there is something wrong.”

While committee members David Bahati and Rose Namayanja wanted the session to proceed without principal witnesses, the other MPs decided that Mr Rwabwogo and Mr Quarcoo be sent away until February 22 to appear with their former staff.