MPs told to account for travel cash

Investment minister Gabriel Ajedra is on the list of 12 MPs but denied the claims, saying he has not travelled to the US since 2008 as alleged. FILE photo

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Accountability. Clerk to Parliament ordered to deduct the money from MPs’ salaries for reportedly misusing the money meant for travel abroad.

Kampala.
Lawmakers on the Public Accounts Committee yesterday ordered the Clerk to Parliament to recover millions of shillings from MPs and staff they accused of abusing opportunities for travel abroad.

However, some of the MPs who allegedly took public money accused the authorities in Parliament of “misplacing” their accountabilities and others disowned the foreign trips attributed to them, casting some doubt on the authenticity of the information given to the Auditor General and the committee.
Investment minister Gabriel Ajedra, who is listed as No.1 on the list of 12 MPs with questioned accountability documents for travel abroad, told Daily Monitor that he has not travelled to the US since 2008 and wondered how his name came to be included among the MPs who have not accounted for public funds.

Implicated MPs speak out
“If they are talking about 2012/13 financial year, I am surprised because I have never been to Dallas, Texas, USA as they are claiming,” Mr Adjedra said.
Details before the committee claim Mr Adjedra was paid $520 (about Shs1.3 million) for each of the five days he allegedly spent in the US from October 5, 2012.

Another MP, Mr Robert Kasule Ssebunya, who allegedly took Shs21.1m, told Daily Monitor that this money was wrongly credited to his account and that he notified the authorities in Parliament to rectify the anomaly. He said the money was supposed to go to NRM Chief Whip Kasule Lumumba’s account and he denied travelling to Los Angeles, USA on May 21, 2013.
“It is true the money was sent to Kasule who used the money yet I was supposed to travel but he has since recently refunded it. I have provided full accountability to the Parliamentary Commission,” Ms Lumumba said.

While some MPs on the list to PAC were not available for comment, MPs Samuel Semugaba (Kiboga West), Joy Ruth Acheng (Kole Woman), Milton Muwuma (Kigulu South) and Kasirivu Atwooki Kyamanya(Bugangaizi West) said they submitted accountability documents but they believe they were misplaced by the authorities in Parliament.
The Clerk to Parliament, Ms Jane Kibirige, told PAC that although the Auditor General indicated that Shs142.3 million was paid as per diem to MPs and staff who travelled on official duty, accountabilities of Shs91.6 million have since been submitted, leaving a balance of Shs50.7 million unaccounted for.
“The beneficiaries of the payments were reminded to submit accountabilities before the end of September 2013. I also told them that those who would not account by then would leave us with no option but to recover the amounts against them from their emoluments,” Ms Kibirige said.

More fraud at Parliament
In a related matter, authorities in Parliament who were appearing before PAC to answer audit queries for the 2012/13 report also admitted diverting Shs4 billion meant for various activities in the House.

Documents before PAC show that the officers at Parliament went on what Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi called “a spending spree” after realising that the financial year was coming to an end yet they still had plenty of unspent cash.

The committee also heard that Shs664.7 million advanced to personal accounts remained unaccounted for. The money is suspected to have been channelled to fraudulent purposes due to failure of internal control systems. Chief Accountant for Parliament Patrick Kunobwa told MPs that this case was taken over by the Inspectorate of Government. Daily Monitor broke the story involving the director budget office, Mr Samuel Wanyaka, who is now before the Anti-Corruption Court.

Implicated MPs

Name Amount
Gabriel Adjedra Aridru Shs6.7m
Joy Ruth Acheng Shs11.8m
Florence Kintu Shs11m
Anne Auru Shs5.4m
Milton Muwuma Shs8.1m
Gen Elly Tumwine Shs8.4m
Moses Balyeku Grace Shs10.3m
Robert Kasule Sebunya Shs21.1m
Stephen Toshobya Shs6.7m
Stephen Bakka Mugabi Shs6.7m
Stephen Kasirivu Atwoki Shs10.8m
Samuel Ssemugaba Shs9.4m
Moses Kameraho Nabaasa Shs5.7m
Francis Katamba Shs4.6m
Samuel Huxley Wanyaka Shs14.8m