Police opens 72 cases on OPM staff

Dec 03, 2012

The Police is opening 72 personal files on staff in the Office of the Prime Minister on whose accounts billions of shillings were deposited to execute ministry activities.

By Steven Candia

The Police is opening 72 personal files on staff in the Office of the Prime Minister on whose accounts billions of shillings were deposited to execute ministry activities.

They have opened files on companies that are said to have executed the contracts.

The development, to be followed by field visits to various parts of the country, is to establish whether the activities were actually carried out and whether there was value for money. It is part of a wider probe into the alleged theft of over sh50b in a sophisticated scam in the OPM.

According to a forensics audit on the OPM by the Auditor General, up to sh34.6b was advanced to ministry staff over a period of two years, between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2012, contrary to regulations.

The payments were allegedly made to enable OPM staff to execute ministry work in various parts of the country, especially northern Uganda, Karamoja and Kiryandongo.

“We have opened some files and will continue with the process next week. We will investigate all those persons who received such money,” Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Directorate (CIID) boss Grace Akullo said over the weekend.

Police sources said files for more than 72 OPM staff are destined to be opened. The same is true for scores of companies that are alleged to have won contracts and executed the works in various parts of the country.

After files have been opened, the concerned people will be summoned and interrogated.

“We want them to verify whether they executed the activities and show what they did,” a source said.

The Police last month visited Kiryandongo to inspect activities in relation to Bududa landslide victims culminating in the arrest of six OPM staff.


 

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