MPs retrieve Ssemogerere's passport over Katosi-Mukono road

PIC:Lawyer Kalolil Ssemwogerere(right) is escorted by CID Officials after he handed over his passports. This was after the Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises Committee of Parliament(COSASE), on September, 28 2016. Photo by Miriam Namutebi.

MPs on the parliamentary committee on Commissions, state authorities and state enterprises yesterday had to get Police to escort former UNRA external lawyer Kaloli Ssemwogerere back home to retrieve his passport to establish whether he really traveled to the USA.

This was after Ssemwogerere failed to table the passport in the committee as evidence to prove that he really travelled and did due diligence on Eutaw, the company that contracted to construct the 74km katosi-Mukono road.

According to the auditors, Ssemogerere was paid sh58m to travel to the USA for 20 days. However it was later discovered that UNRA awarded the contract to a non-existent company.

Executive Director Uganda National Roads Authority(URA) Allen Kagina consults Director Internal Audit Moses Kasakya(left) and Jennifer Kaggwa,Director Human Resource before appearing in the Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises Committee of Parliament(COSASE), on September, 28 2016.

While appearing before the committee, Ssemogerere insisted that he travelled to the USA but failed to table the evidence despite constant reminders from the Committee and UNRA officials to come along with it.

 "We don't want narratives. Where is the passport and the report you handed over to the people who sent you?" committee chairman Abdul Katuntu asked.

"It's at home. Just photocopied the passport pages," he responded. But MPs rejected his submission and asked him to go back home and pick it. After over 4 hours, he returned with the passport but found when the meeting had ended.

Police took him to Katuntu's office but Katuntu refused to check whether he travelled or not saying he does not conduct committee work in office.

He is will appear again today (Thursday) to explain more about the matter.

Briefing members on the status of the project Katosi, UNRA director Legal Mary Kutesa said works resumed under a different contractor and 70 percent has been completed.

However she said there officials from UNRA, a former minister of works Abraham Byandala and one Apollo Ssenketo from Eutaw were still in court, facing trial in the anti-corruption court over the matter.

The UNRA officials are former acting ED   Eng. Kimeze Ssebbugga, former director Finance Director Joseph Ssemugoma and Marvin Baryaruha. Kimeze and Ssemugoma were also in the committee.

The officials are facing trail over their involvement in the road project scam that was awarded to a reportedly ‘ghost' company Eutaw Construction Company at a cost of sh165b.

Kutesa told MPs that UNRA has filed a suit against Eutaw demanding a refund of sh18b that was not accounted for. This was part of the sh24.7b that the Authority had advanced the Company.

"They used sh6b and now we want them to refund the balance," she said