Premier's office clarifies on UK investigators story

By Anne Mugisa
            
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has said that it is not true that UK investigators are in Uganda investigating its Crisis Management Account.

In a clarification sent to the New Vision, Moses Watasa, in charge of communication also stated that reports that the Crisis Management Account was missing from the OPM Ministerial statement is a sign of fraud are also inaccurate.

Watasa's clarification signed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Pius Bigirimana stated:

CLARIFICATION ON THE STORY,"UK INVESTIGATORS JOIN KAZINDA CASE".

The Story,   "UK Investigators join Kazinda Case", The New Vision, 11th October, 2012 indicated that British auditors are in Uganda to specifically investigate an alleged "Crisis Management Account" purportedly operated by Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

In the same article, an anonymous Police source is quoted to have said the absence of the purported Crisis Management Account from the OPM Ministerial Policy Statement is a sign of possible fraud!

These two aspects of the story are inaccurate and OPM wishes to set the record right as follows:-

"    The DFID country Office generally takes interest in programs undertaken with support from the U.K. government from time to time. Accordingly, the experts referred to in the article are in Uganda to undertake a forensic audit of DFID support programs at the Office of the Prime Minister.

"    Ministerial Policy Statements are not prepared to necessarily contain Bank account details as presented in the story. Policy Statements typically highlight the different Vote functions in a Ministry, and the function of each of the votes. Accounts are run for purposes of executing programs under different functions and their absence from Policy Statements shouldn't be construed to be an anomaly.

"    About the alleged Crisis Management Account, for diverting funds, OPM early this week explained that this is totally false and a forensic Audit is being undertaken.

"    Like we have stated before, The Permanent Secretary, OPM, Mr. Pius Bigirimana invited the Police to look into the possibility of financial impropriety involving the Principal Accountant. OPM has to-date fully supported the Police on this matter and is also supporting the Auditor General in the ongoing value for money forensic audit.