Ex-Asians properties boss holds onto stamp
Video grab of former Executive Secretary of the Departed Asians Properties Custodian Board (DAPCB), Mr Bernard Tumwesigire, appearing before Public Accounts Committee recently.
What you need to know:
- Mr Tumwesigire is demanding Shs1.4b for what he calls entitlements having held different portfolios in DAPCB for 12 years.
Mr Kasozi did not pick nor return our repeated phone calls.
The former Executive Secretary of the Departed Asians Properties Custodian Board (DAPCB), Mr Bernard Tumwesigire, has objected to the orders of the select task force of Members of Parliament to hand over the official seal and other documents he left office with.
Last Thursday, Mr Ibrahim Kasozi (Makindye East), who heads the select task force of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), ordered Mr Tumwesigire to hand over the DAPCB seal on Friday without fail after MPs raised concern of authenticity of documents issued by the current management without the seal.
The Cosase task force is investigating fraudulent repossession of unclaimed or compensated properties left by Asians who were expelled in 1972 by then president Idi Amin.
However, Mr Tumwesigire did not show up at Parliament where he had been ordered to take the seal and other DAPCB documents in his possession.
Mr Tumwesigire, who claims he was illegally sacked by Finance minister Matia Kasaija in 2016, told Daily Monitor yesterday that he had put in a preliminary objection to the Cosase task force chairperson, hence no need to hand over before a ruling is delivered.
He said the reason for the objection is because he was last Thursday treated like a suspect before the committee despite seeing himself as a government witness. “I have put in a preliminary objection stating reasons why I will not be able to hand over the seal and whatever the committee wants from me. I am waiting for the chairman’s ruling tomorrow [today],” Mr Tumwesigire said.
In an August 8 letter, he said he could not hand over office property to the current DAPCB executive secretary, whom he said is in office illegally.
“For instance, Mr Bizibu George William was appointed on July 1, 2017, as per his Identity Card before I received termination notice or payment of salary,” Mr Tumwesigire wrote.
“My employment rights as executive secretary/consultant have not ceased because I have not been paid salary in lieu as my services were illegally terminated without giving termination notice agreed on [in] the engagement,” he added.
Mr Tumwesigire is demanding Shs1.4b for what he calls entitlements having held different portfolios in DAPCB for 12 years.
Mr Kasozi did not pick nor return our repeated phone calls.
