Rights body grilled over cheap car sale

Aug 10, 2010

THE Uganda Human Rights Commission cheaply sold off items, including selling a Hilux pick-up truck at sh350,000, the Auditor General’s report has revealed.

By Madinah Tebajjukira

THE Uganda Human Rights Commission cheaply sold off items, including selling a Hilux pick-up truck at sh350,000, the Auditor General’s report has revealed.

According to the 2008/2009 report, which is being scrutinised by the Parliament public accounts committee, the commission disposed of three Mitsubishi Pajeros at sh9m in December 2008. The cost of the 4x4 vehicles ranged between sh1.8m and sh5.2m.

Other items sold at what the MPs described as give-away price included used tyres, eight used file cabins, three laptops, five CPUs and four monitors.

According to the report, a laptop (Dell) went for as low as sh35,000, a CPU (Dell) for sh10,000 and a monitor at sh10,000. “How can a Pajero be sold at sh1.8m? This is real theft and abuse of procurement laws,” said Geoffrey Ekanya (FDC).

Appearing before the committee on Monday, the commission’s secretary, Gordon Mwesigye, said the sale of the items was done in accordance with procurement laws.

He said the exercise was conducted by Simba Speed Auctioneers, under public bidding on behalf of the commission.

Mwesigye also said the sale of the items was based on a report of the ad hoc board of survey, which boarded off five uneconomical vehicles and other items in October 2008.

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