IGG blocks sh7b fake war claim

 

The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has blocked a fake compensation claim against the Government that would have led to a loss of sh6.8b.  

 

In the case, the proprietors of M/S Transporters had demanded compensation from the Government, claiming that they lost four buses during the insurgence in Western Uganda.

 

“Our probe discovered that three of the said buses were repaired and disposed of by the owners, while another had been compensated for,” Raphael Baku, the IGG, said yesterday. 

 

Baku was releasing his report to Parliament for the period January-June 2011. 

 

He said interventions by the inspectorate for the period saved sh7.5b in refunds, recoveries and pre-empted deals. 

In the period, the inspectorate received 1,079 new cases under investigation, while another 3,738 cases were brought forward as backlog. 

 

Baku, however, declined to state whether corruption had increased or declined, saying his office lacked the data tracking mechanism to get the  trends. 

 

“The number of reports (cases) we receive don’t show increase in corruption,” he said. 

 

The cases investigated included, non payment of salaries, abuse of office, mismanagement, corruption, property disputes, delay of service delivery, oppression and contracts.

 

Baku admitted that few people were willing to report cases of corruption for fear of victimisation.

 

Baku said others were cynical that even when the cases are reported, “nothing will be done about the corrupt.”

 

He said the cancerous corruption that had eaten into the  fabric of Ugandan society was driven by greed and not need. 

 

Baku observed that while before 2008 most corruption cases were committed by low income earners, the subsequent  years had registered high income earners engaged in corruption.

 

“In the period before 2008, the conclusion was that low pay fuels corruption. After that, we have seen high income earners engaged in corruption. Therefore, corruption is driven by greed rather than need,” Baku     said.

 

He listed the challenges faced by the IGG as inadequate funding, understaffing, operating in rented premises, limited legal reference materials, court delays and corruption.