Junk choppers to be returned to Belarus
Oct 06, 2002
The helicopter gunships whose acquisition five years ago continues to rock the Government, have been dismantled, loaded into containers for re-shipment back to Belarus, a former Soviet Union republic
By Vision Reporters
The helicopter gunships whose acquisition five years ago continues to rock the Government, have been dismantled, loaded into containers for re-shipment back to Belarus, a former Soviet Union republic.
The two Mi-24 helicopters, whose controversial purchase in 1997 is reported to have caused government a direct loss of US$6.5m, are being returned for overhaul.
“The Government made a decision recently to fly the helicopters back to Belarus for refurbishment. This will involve fully overhauling them,†said a source.
“The Director of the Airforce, Brig. Joshua Masaba, recently led a team to meet officials of the Belarussian government corporation (BY) to discuss the terms of the overhaul,†said the source.
Masaba declined to comment.
But other sources said there was still disagreement over who should foot the cost of flying the choppers back to Belarus and paying for the overhaul.
Some sources said the suppliers, Consolidated Sales Corporation (CSC), had agreed to foot the costs of the overhaul. But it was still unclear how much the exercise would cost. CSC belongs to ace rally driver Emma Kato.
The combat helicopters were for nearly a year the subject of a judicial Commission of Inquiry led by High Court judge Julia Ssebutinde.
The outcome of the Ssebutinde probe is yet to be made public. Recently, defence minister Amama Mbabazi said a white paper on the probe report was being prepared to be presented to the Cabinet.
But on Friday, Kato told The New Vision, “I am not aware of any development about that issue. I even never discussed it with the defence ministry again. So I really don’t know what is happening now.â€
Amama Mbabazi was unavailable for comment while Ruth Nankabirwa, the state minister for defence, said she was not ready to comment about the issue.
According to the February 7, 1997 agreement between the UPDF and CSC, the contract sum was US$12,266,500 for four overhauled helicopters, each costing $1.5m.
A new Mi24 helicopter costs $8m.
But instead in 1998, CSC brought in two unoverhauled helicopters. The planes standard manuals indicated full overhaul to mean 1,000 flying hours for the airframe and 800 for engines.
During the Ssebutinde Commission probe, it was revealed that Katto paid only $308,440 out of the $9,082,943. The remaining $8,774,503 went to the middlemen.
Exiled former presidential candidate Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, and several other senior army officers were among those who handled the procurement and testified before the Ssebutinde Commission.
Whereas it is easy to return the two helicopters to Belarus, the army is now stuck with the third unoverhauled Mi-24p combat helicopter which it acquired on the open market from Dr. Sherrif from the Middle East, who sold it to the defence ministry through Culworth Investment Corporation.
Sources said this helicopter, piloted by an Ethiopian expatriate, Lt. Col. Getahum Kassa, a few months ago developed serious mechanical problems in Moroto district.
It is now grounded at Entebbe airbase.
“The repair and overhaul of this particular chopper is a problem because manufacturers are reluctant to handle planes which are not purchased directly from them,†a source said.
The cost and conditions of acquisition of the Mi-24p were never made public.
The helicopter gunships whose acquisition five years ago continues to rock the Government, have been dismantled, loaded into containers for re-shipment back to Belarus, a former Soviet Union republic.
The two Mi-24 helicopters, whose controversial purchase in 1997 is reported to have caused government a direct loss of US$6.5m, are being returned for overhaul.
“The Government made a decision recently to fly the helicopters back to Belarus for refurbishment. This will involve fully overhauling them,†said a source.
“The Director of the Airforce, Brig. Joshua Masaba, recently led a team to meet officials of the Belarussian government corporation (BY) to discuss the terms of the overhaul,†said the source.
Masaba declined to comment.
But other sources said there was still disagreement over who should foot the cost of flying the choppers back to Belarus and paying for the overhaul.
Some sources said the suppliers, Consolidated Sales Corporation (CSC), had agreed to foot the costs of the overhaul. But it was still unclear how much the exercise would cost. CSC belongs to ace rally driver Emma Kato.
The combat helicopters were for nearly a year the subject of a judicial Commission of Inquiry led by High Court judge Julia Ssebutinde.
The outcome of the Ssebutinde probe is yet to be made public. Recently, defence minister Amama Mbabazi said a white paper on the probe report was being prepared to be presented to the Cabinet.
But on Friday, Kato told The New Vision, “I am not aware of any development about that issue. I even never discussed it with the defence ministry again. So I really don’t know what is happening now.â€
Amama Mbabazi was unavailable for comment while Ruth Nankabirwa, the state minister for defence, said she was not ready to comment about the issue.
According to the February 7, 1997 agreement between the UPDF and CSC, the contract sum was US$12,266,500 for four overhauled helicopters, each costing $1.5m.
A new Mi24 helicopter costs $8m.
But instead in 1998, CSC brought in two unoverhauled helicopters. The planes standard manuals indicated full overhaul to mean 1,000 flying hours for the airframe and 800 for engines.
During the Ssebutinde Commission probe, it was revealed that Katto paid only $308,440 out of the $9,082,943. The remaining $8,774,503 went to the middlemen.
Exiled former presidential candidate Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, and several other senior army officers were among those who handled the procurement and testified before the Ssebutinde Commission.
Whereas it is easy to return the two helicopters to Belarus, the army is now stuck with the third unoverhauled Mi-24p combat helicopter which it acquired on the open market from Dr. Sherrif from the Middle East, who sold it to the defence ministry through Culworth Investment Corporation.
Sources said this helicopter, piloted by an Ethiopian expatriate, Lt. Col. Getahum Kassa, a few months ago developed serious mechanical problems in Moroto district.
It is now grounded at Entebbe airbase.
“The repair and overhaul of this particular chopper is a problem because manufacturers are reluctant to handle planes which are not purchased directly from them,†a source said.
The cost and conditions of acquisition of the Mi-24p were never made public.