The three Hoima City Council staff accused of approving a plan for the refurbishment of a condemned building have recorded statements with the Police. 

The officials are city clerk Innocent Ahimbisibwe, city engineer Boniventure Kiiiza and physical planner Geoffrey Muhumuza.

Officials inspecting the building located at Old Toro Road.

It is alleged that the trio approved the construction of a storied building on top of the condemned Cadam building on Old-Toro Road in Hoima city in April 2022.

The three recorded statements after officials from the National Building Review Board-NBRB led by Jafar Magezi, the head of enforcement, discovered the anomaly when they visited Hoima last week. 

On Thursday, the team inspected the condemned structure and found out that it was unfit to be refurbished.

The team stopped the construction of the building and directed the officials to record statements with the Police and explain what motivated them to approve for the refurbishment of a building, which was condemned over 10 years ago.

According to Magezi, the approval of the building plan for the condemned structure drew a public outcry prompting the board to intervene. 

He said upon inspection and supervision of the facility, it was discovered that the developer had not submitted structural drawings to the building committee, which was contrary to the regulation.

Magezi added that they also found the contractor was rebuilding the structures joining the new iron bars on dilapidated, rusted and weak iron bars which were already in the old structure to put up a storeyed building. 

It was discovered that the condemned structure was allegedly being developed by US-based Masindi tycoon Margaret Kyenkya.

Albertine region Police spokesperson Julius Hakiza said through a phone interview on Monday that the three officials were summoned and that they recorded statements at Hoima City Police Station on Friday and were later released on police bond. 

He added that Police had kicked off investigation after the three recorded a statement to ascertain if there was a foul play during the approval of the building plan of the structures.