Katosi Road case for judgement Wednesday

KAMPALA-The High Court will Wednesday deliver the judgment on former Works minister Eng. Abraham Byandala who is accused of causing financial loss of Shs24.7 billion to the government in the bungled Mukono-Katosi Road contract.

The judgement will be delivered by Justice Lawrence Gidudu of the Anti-Corruption Court at Kololo.

Eng Byandala is jointly charged with businessman Apolo Senkeeto alias Mark Kalyesubula who was the Country Representative of Eutaw Construction Company, which is accused of fleecing Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) of Shs24.7 billion in the Katosi contract fiasco.

Other suspects are: Former UNRA acting Executive Director Eng Berunado Sebugga Kimeze, former UNRA Director of Finance and Administration Mr Joe Ssemugooma, former UNRA Regional Accountant and Mr Wilberforce Senjako and Mr Isaac Mugote (former staff of Housing Finance Bank).

The Inspector General of Government (IGG) who is prosecuting the case states that Eng Byandala, while still Works minister, abused his office on November 14, 2013 when he directed the immediate signing of the contract between UNRA and Eutaw yet the company lacked capacity to carry out the road works.

The prosecution further contends that ON August 27, 2014, Eng Byandala abused his office again by ordering the continuation of the Katosi road works by Chongqing International Construction Company contrary to the IGG's earlier directives. It is contended that this act amounted to disobeyed lawful orders.

The IGG states that Eng Kimeze abused his office when he signed a contract with Eutaw without establishing whether there was a valid performance guarantee and proceeded to issue a payment guarantee which allowed disbursement of  the Shs24.7 billion to the company, which compromised UNRA’s interests. Eng Kimeze is jointly charged with Mr Semugooma in a separate case of causing financial loss to the government by approving the payment to Eutaw despite glaring defects in the due-diligence report.