By John Odyek

THE public accounts committee yesterday asked Aziz Kasujja, Uganda’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to refund $31,000 (sh70m) he irregularly received in 2008 from the Foreign Affairs ministry.

Kasujja is a former chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).

Nandala Mafabi, the committee chairperson, said Kasujja requested for the money as per diem and air tickets from the ministry yet the funds for his duties were supposed to be provided by Uganda’s embassy in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

The committee was scrutinising the auditor general’s report for the financial year 2007/08.

Foreign affairs permanent secretary James Mugume said they received communication from Kasujja that the money would be used for his participation in the Organisation of Islamic Conference meetings in 2008.
Mugume presented a statement which showed how Kasujja spent some of the money.

The committee also directed the criminal investigations department to investigate the circumstances under which Delta was building a petrol station in Mbarara on land that belonged to the foreign affairs ministry.

According to Mugume, they had got a court order blocking further construction on the land and informed the Police and Mbarara mayor, but Delta ignored them.