Hospital bosses charged with graft

Masaka.

Five senior administrators of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, who were arrested last week over alleged misappropriation of public funds, were at the weekend granted police bond after spending three days in police custody.

However, the Force preferred criminal charges against them over corruption and embezzlement of public funds.

The implicated officials include Ms Florence Tugumisirize, the hospital director, the principal Administrator Hajj Eliezer Mugisha, Mr Dismus Wandera, the procurement officer, Mr Basil Woyesige, hospital principal accountant and Mr Milton Ondama, the project manager of Tirupati Development(U) Ltd, a construction company that was hired to execute construction works.

Mr John Mwaule, the Masaka District police commander, confirmed the release of the officials, but said investigations into the matter were ongoing. “We could not hold them beyond the 48-hour threshold. ...they will be called when needed,” he said by telephone yesterday.

The five suspects were arrested last Wednesday by security operatives led by detective superintendent, Mr Collins Karugaba, the head of investigations at the State House Health Monitoring Unit, after they failed to account for more than Shs5 billion, meant for construction of a five–storeyed hospital complex.

In 2014, government allocated the hospital Shs10b for constructing new maternity and children wards and a youth health information centre in a bid to decongest the hospital and improve service delivery.

But according to Mr Karugaba, while the project was meant to be completed in three years, with its hand over expected in May this year, only 32 per cent of the work has been completed yet the allocated funds have almost been utilised.

Mr Karugaba, together with officers from Southern regional police office and armoured brigade barracks last Thursday toured the site and further criticised the quality of materials used. As part of the preliminary findings the hospital administrators are faulted for fraudulently changing the contract Bills of Quantity in exchange for substandard materials, paying for none existing office space for the contractors and two years internet services subscription.

Workers interviewed
Mr Karugaba told Daily Monitor that they were also shocked to establish that the hospital administrators had claimed to have spent some of the money on clearing utility bills running for the entire contract period which according to him is a hoax.

The investigating team also recorded statements from site workers who on interrogation complained of deficiency in delivery of building materials. They also said while there are meant to be forty employees; the site is manned by less than ten people who do all the work.

The Masaka Resident District Commissioner, Mr Joe Walusimbi, also told the commission the suspects had adamantly declined to show him their accountability books whenever asked to do so.