Theft of government money, assets top IGG report

Kampala. In a latest report, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Irene Mulyagonja, has named abuse of office and theft of government funds and assets as top cases her office investigated between July and December 2017.
The report titled; “Bi-annual Inspectorate of Government Performance” between July and December 2017, submitted to Parliament last week, ranked the most accused ministries, agencies, departments and local governments in the period under review.

New cases
Of the 1,399 new cases received in that period, the IGG said abuse of office topped with 284 cases, followed by corruption (187), embezzlement (107), misappropriation (99), forgery (79) and audit queries (54).
Influence peddling was the least reported case with only one complaint, followed by causing financial loss, and extortions with 12 complaints each.
The report notes that there were 108 mismanagement cases, 172 of non-payment, 45 of victimisation, 36 of property disputes, 28 of delayed service delivery, 20 related to tenders and contracts, and nine of irregular staff recruitment.
Regarding enforcing the Leadership Code Act, the IGG said she is investigating one case of illicit enrichment.
However, the report does not name the public officer under investigation.
The report also confirmed investigations into the wealth of former Bank of Uganda supervisor of Commercial Banks Justine Bagyenda in October last year.
District administrations have for the second time in succession topped in corruption with 273 cases.
In second position are individuals implicated in 228 complaints, followed by District Service Commissions (115), municipalities and town councils (101), police (83), head-teachers of both primary and secondary schools (81), Ministry of Public Service (45), Lands office (29) and Judiciary (24).
Other institutions implicated in corruption are Uganda National Roads Authority with 12 complaints, Ministry of Education with nine cases, Office of Administrator General (eight), Ministry of Lands (seven), Ministry of Water and Environment (seven), Kampala Capital City Authority and the National Agricultural Advisory Services each with six cases and Ministry of Health with four cases.
The report also names three cases of corruption against IGG staff and lists Uganda Prisons, State House, Prime Minister’s Office, Civil Aviation Authority, Attorney General’s Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Finance among the least corrupt agencies with one complaint against each.
Like in the previous report (January to June 2017), Kampala has topped districts in corruption with 262 cases of its officials accused of taking bribes. The number of accusations in Kampala, however, have reduced by 72 complaints, down from 334 in the previous report.

Top districts in corruption
Following Kampala in the top 10 districts in corruption cases are Lira (52), Jinja (43), Arua (29), Kabarole (28) Kamuli (28), Iganga (27), Mbale (27), Mukono (27) and Tororo (27).
The IGG said out of a backlog of 4,620 cases from the previous reporting period, her office investigated 6,019 cases between July and December last year of which 1,399 were completed.
A total of 312 cases were referred to other agencies for further handling whereas 4,817 cases were still under investigation by the end of the reporting period in December last year.
During the period under review, 20 public officers were arrested for different corruption offences that included abuse of office, embezzlement, uttering false documents, causing financial loss, forgery and defrauding government, among others.
Key among those who were arrested and charged in the Anti-Corruption Court include three senior officials in the Ministry of Local Government namely Mr Wilberforce Turyahabwa the principal systems analyst, Mr Patrick Mutabwire, the director of Local Government Administration and Mr Jackson Wamwa, a senior analyst.
Mr Turyahabwa was arrested for alleged embezzlement, Mr Mutabwire for alleged diversion of funds and abuse of office while Mr Wamwa was accused of conspiracy to defraud government.
Others are Ms Madinah Nabukeera, the registrar of titles in the Ministry of Lands, who was arrested on charges of abuse of office, Mr Wilberforce Turyahikayo, a senior assistant registrar of Kaymbogo University, Mr George Lubega Matovu, the national resource manager in National Environment Management Authority and Mr Phillip Kyahurwa, a senior assistant town clerk of Hoima Municipal Council.
According to the report, the IGG secured 11 convictions and punishments handed to corrupt officials by the Anti-Corruption Court. Some of the convicts were sentenced to jail whereas others were ordered to refund the money they had stolen.
“These prosecutions resulted into 11 convictions (73.3 per cent conviction rate), two acquittals, one withdrawal and two dismissed,” the IGG states in the report.

Cases under prosecution
By December 31, 2017, the IGG was still prosecuting 53 corruption related-cases in the Anti-Corruption Court and 36 in the Court of Appeal.
Key among the cases that were in court by end of year was that of former Works and Transport Minister, Mr Abraham Byandala who has since been acquitted of abuse of office, causing financial loss, theft, influence peddling, disobedience of lawful orders, corruption, uttering false documents and obtaining execution of a security by false presence. All the charges were in relation to the controversial Mukono-Katosi road construction.
The report further states that the IGG raised more than Shs15b, especially from court fines, awards and orders and recovered Shs267m from officials in government ministries, departments and agencies and Local Governments through administrative sanctions and the money was returned to the Consolidated Fund account.