Witness pins Senkeeto on Katosi road scam
KAMPALA.
Businessman Apolo Senkeeto signed the Mukono-Katosi road contract on behalf of Eutaw Construction Company without authority, a prosecution witness has told court.
Appearing before the Anti-Corruption Court as the second prosecution witness, Mr Geoffrey Ssambwa, a former manager at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), who was part of the negotiation committee for the contract between 2011 and 2013, said Senkeeto was not on the list of directors of Eutaw Construction Company.
However, he testified that Mr Senkeeto appeared as country representative while Mr Richard Platt was a director during negotiations between UNRA and Eutaw leading to the signing of the contract.
He told court that the Mukono-Katosi road contract negotiated in 2011 was cancelled due to lack of funds but the contracts committee rescinded its decision in 2013 after the funds were made available.
“In 2013, I received a communication from the acting executive director, Mr Berunado Ssebbugga Kimeze, appointing me as a member of the committee to do supplementary negotiations after the contracts committee rescinded its decision cancelling the procurement process.
We were charged with establishing the legal status of the persons representing Eutaw among others and we recommended a physical due diligence exercise after establishing inconsistencies in the contacts,” he said.
Mr Senkeeto alias Mark Kalyesubula is on trial jointly with Eng Kimeze and former Transport minister, Eng Abraham Byandala in connection with more than Shs24 billion that government lost in the botched contract.
The contract was signed by former UNRA Director for Finance and Administration Joe Ssemugooma and Mr Kimeze, who are both on trial.
Others on trial are Mr Wilberforce Senjako (former regional accountant) and Mr Isaac Mugote (former staff of Housing Finance Bank).
They appeared before Justice Lawrence Gidudu of the Anti-Corruption Court for hearing of the case yesterday.
In the previous session, court heard that Mr Byandala initiated meetings at UNRA offices to proceed with the Mukono-Katosi road contract even after the Inspectorate of Government had directed that all activities on the project be stopped and also contrary to the Management Committee’s earlier decision to cancel the deal with Eutaw.
The IGG states that Mr Byandala abused his office when he ordered the continuation of the works on the Mukono-Katosi road by another company Chongqing International Construction Corporation after the Eutaw contract had been cancelled.
Court also heard that the letter allegedly written by Mr Byandala to UNRA was addressed to his then deputy, Eng Byabagambi to get updates about the progress of the project given the atmosphere on site.
Thebackground
Mr Senkeeto alias Mark Kalyesubula is on trial jointly with Eng Kimeze and former Transport minister, Eng Abraham Byandala in connection with more than Shs24 billion that government lost in the botched contract.
