Government should explain payouts

Sep 24, 2011

RHINO Investments Ltd was paid sh14.9b as compensation for a cancelled bid to acquire Kisekka Market instead of sh6.8b as recommended by an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Government valuer. That is an inflation of sh8.1b.

RHINO Investments Ltd was paid sh14.9b as compensation for a cancelled bid to acquire Kisekka Market instead of sh6.8b as recommended by an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Government valuer. That is an inflation of sh8.1b.

Rhino thought the sh6.8b was too little and appealed to the President. President Museveni directed that the amount be reviewed and that auditors be involved.

The money was raised without the involvement of auditors. This is not the first company or businessman to benefit from such generous Government officials. Another city tycoon got sh142b while he had been expected to get only sh24b. These things are happening in a country whose budget is only sh10trillion, and teachers earn less than sh300,000 per month.

This country has parliamentary oversight committees, an Auditor General, and Inspector General of Government, a public prosecutor, very competent judges and many other departments that can avert this kind of fraud.

What is not clear is why nothing, yes NOTHING, ever gets done to these businessmen and the Government officials who connive with them.
This is outright theft of public funds. The taxpayer expects full investigation, prosecution and conviction of these fraudsters. These funds should also be refunded.

This kind of theft is not acceptable. Ugandans should get angry and demand accountability. Nobody pays tax so that it may be passed over to somebody else in this manner?

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