Minister denies taking UCC money
Mar 23, 2007
He does not deny having flown to Bucharest, Romania to attend the Universal Postal Union conference in 2004. all he denies is that he illegally obtained the funds that facilitated the trip.
By Paul Kiwuuwa
He does not deny having flown to Bucharest, Romania to attend the Universal Postal Union conference in 2004. all he denies is that he illegally obtained the funds that facilitated the trip.
The housing state minister, Micheal Kafabusa Werikhe, yesterday told MPs on the committee on commissions, statutory authorities and state enterprises, that he did not coerce the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) into giving him the $4,121(sh7.3m) that he used on the trip.
He said: “We requested for funds from UCC, because, the works ministry was financially constrained, yet Uganda had to be represented at the conference by a political head.â€
Werikhe was responding to queries in the Auditor General’s report that accused him of using his portfolio as the state minister for works in 2004, to illegally obtain the money.
He argued that the money was requested for by works permanent secretary Grace Itazi from UCC’s executive director Patrick Masambu. He also denied having chaired the meetings between the two bodies which led to the release of the funds.
Fred Bukeni (BubuloWest) asked: “Was it a refundable loan or should we treat the case like that of Dr. Nsaba Buturo?â€
Buturo, the ethics minister, was last year grilled by the public accounts committee for illegally obtaining sh20m from the Gulu based Mega FM radio. He had to refund the money.
Werikhe, however, insisted that he was right and even produced a letter dated 26th August 2004, that was addressed Masambu and signed by the Itazi, asking for the money.
When pressed further by Elijah Okupa (Kasilo), the minister admitted having chaired preparatory meetings to assign tasks to UCC officials tasks with relation to the conference. He requested the committee to summon Itazi to clear the air, which they promised to do.
He does not deny having flown to Bucharest, Romania to attend the Universal Postal Union conference in 2004. all he denies is that he illegally obtained the funds that facilitated the trip.
The housing state minister, Micheal Kafabusa Werikhe, yesterday told MPs on the committee on commissions, statutory authorities and state enterprises, that he did not coerce the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) into giving him the $4,121(sh7.3m) that he used on the trip.
He said: “We requested for funds from UCC, because, the works ministry was financially constrained, yet Uganda had to be represented at the conference by a political head.â€
Werikhe was responding to queries in the Auditor General’s report that accused him of using his portfolio as the state minister for works in 2004, to illegally obtain the money.
He argued that the money was requested for by works permanent secretary Grace Itazi from UCC’s executive director Patrick Masambu. He also denied having chaired the meetings between the two bodies which led to the release of the funds.
Fred Bukeni (BubuloWest) asked: “Was it a refundable loan or should we treat the case like that of Dr. Nsaba Buturo?â€
Buturo, the ethics minister, was last year grilled by the public accounts committee for illegally obtaining sh20m from the Gulu based Mega FM radio. He had to refund the money.
Werikhe, however, insisted that he was right and even produced a letter dated 26th August 2004, that was addressed Masambu and signed by the Itazi, asking for the money.
When pressed further by Elijah Okupa (Kasilo), the minister admitted having chaired preparatory meetings to assign tasks to UCC officials tasks with relation to the conference. He requested the committee to summon Itazi to clear the air, which they promised to do.