By Eddie Ssejjoba

THREE senior officials of the Ministry of Public Service currently under investigation over the shs163billion pension money scam were Friday rearrested on fresh charges involving shs88.2bn.

The sum received in two instalments was allegedly paid to ghost pensioners.

The Commissioner in charge Pensions, Stephen Kiwanuka-Kunsa, the Principal Accountant Christopher Obey and his deputy, David Apila Oloka were arrested on Friday when they turned up to renew their bond.

The Permanent Secretary, Jimmy Lwamafa, also on interdiction was interrogated for hours and wrote a statement at the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department headquarters in Kibuli. His bond was extended to Tuesday next week.

The Commissioner in charge pension in the ministry of public service, Kiwanuka Kunsa (L) and the Principal Accountant, Christopher Obey chat with their lawyer moments before they were rearrested.

Kiwanuka Kunsa, Obey and Oluka who turned up with their lawyers wrote statements after and after waiting for hours, had their bond extended.

Obey and Oluka headed straight to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) in Kireka to have their bond extended but were instead picked and put behind bars.

Kiwanuka Kunsa was called back to the CIID offices and was left stunned when it was pronounced to him that he was to be arrested.

“They are now taking me, they say they have arrested me again, where are you?” Kiwanuka made a final call on his cell phone before he was whisked away in a police car.

Detectives direct Kiwanuka Kunsa to enter a police car after he was arrested

He had been earlier seen making numerous calls outside the CIID offices, unaware that he would be detained.  

Two other ministry officials, Margaret Ojala, the Under Secretary in charge Finance and Administration and Joses Tegeza, the assistant commissioner for Policy and Planning in charge budgeting were summoned and also wrote statements in regard to the ministry budget.

The Director CIID, Grace Akullo said the arrests arose from the Auditor General’s (AG) December report, which spelt out irregular budget provision for Social Security contributions (NSSF) for the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 financial years.