DPP to determine fate of Mulago boss, says official

The fate of interdicted executive director of Mulago hospital, Dr Baterana Byarugaba, will be determined by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), an official from State House has revealed. 
This development comes nearly two weeks after the Health ministry lifted the interdiction against Dr Baterana.

In an interview with Daily Monitor yesterday, Dr Warren Namara, the head of the State House Health Monitoring Unit (SHHMU), said they have completed investigations regarding allegations of corruption against Dr Baterana.

He said they have sent the file to the office of the DPP for perusal and to determine whether there is substantial evidence to have his file sanctioned and arraigned in court or order for further investigations or have the file closed if there is insufficient evidence.
“Lifting the interdiction doesn’t indemnify you. It is not clearance from being prosecuted or tried in the courts of law. Even if you have left office, you still can be requested by DPP to answer charges,” Dr Namara said.
 
He added: “Presumption of innocence in the law protects the accused, and public service standing order is in his favour because he has been on interdiction for some time.” 
The new development comes amid concerns from Members of Parliament that the pace at which the government is handling the issue is wanting.
 
During an appearance before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last Thursday, the legislators asked the permanent secretary of the Health ministry, Dr Diana Atwine, to liaise with sister departments [over the probe] not as an investigator but as the consumer of [Dr Baterana’s] service.

Mr Medard Sseggona (Busiro County East), the committee chairperson, said: “Why I am deeply concerned is because Dr Byarugaba is a specialist, we have gaps, undeployed labour. If he committed acts of indiscipline, expedite the investigations.”

He added: “…but if he has not committed any offence, you don’t tarnish such a man’s name because the arrest and the interdiction were all public. By the time you arrest and interdict, you must have evidence to take to court. It is a year, if there is no evidence to take the man to court, let the man come back and work.”

However, Dr Namara said: “We didn’t delay completing the investigations. We don’t work alone. We work with other arms of government –police, DPP office and the anti-corruption [unit].” 

Background
Dr Baterana Byarugaba, the executive director of Mulago National Referral Hospital, has been out of office since March 2022 following his arrest by the State House Health Monitoring Unit over allegations of abuse of office, embezzlement, causing financial loss, and fraudulent false accounting. 

He was also interdicted in the same month by the permanent secretary of the Health ministry, Dr Diana Atwine. The government said then that their preliminary investigations showed that Shs28 billion had not been accounted for in the last two years while Dr Baterana was in office.

In a June 21 letter, the permanent secretary of the Health ministry, Dr Diana Atwine said she lifted the interdiction and reinstated Dr Baterana on “full pay” pursuant to section, F-s (15) of the Uganda Public Service standing order 2021. 

The section states: “Where the Responsible officer is unable to conclude an investigation within six (6) months, the interdiction may be lifted on condition that the matter will be revisited when further evidence by the investigating bodies is adduced.”
Dr Atwine said Dr Baterana would assume duties after “the Health service commission has noted the lifting” of his “interdiction”. 

However, Prof Pious Okong, the chairperson of the Health service commission, told this piublication yesterday that he had not yet seen the letter.