CID To Probe Mbarara Officials

Nov 15, 2002

ELEVEN senior accountants and 13 sub-county chiefs deprived Mbarara district of over sh134m,

ELEVEN senior accountants and 13 sub-county chiefs deprived Mbarara district of over sh134m, reports Cyprian Musoke.

The money, queried in the Auditor General’s report for the 1998/9 financial year was allegedly embezzled by different accounting officers who were supposed to have paid it out to their subordinates.

The local government accounts committee on Thursday instructed a team from the CID to probe the matter.

Mbarara chief administrative officer Hezzy Kafureeka and his chief finance officer, Charles Bankobeza, tendered before the committee the long list of suspected fraudsters.

“Mr. chairman, we have this problem because Mbarara has the highest number of counties, over 35 of them, and many sub-counties. We have very many centres of operation at which money can be stolen,” Kafureka said.

The AG’s report said examination of accounts revealed cases of embezzlement which resulted in the loss of sh134,340,178. Some of the cases were referred to courts of law, while in other cases the officers were simply dismissed or interdicted.

“The losses were apparently written off to expenditure as they are not reflected as an asset in the balance sheet,” the report further stated.

Bright Rwamirama (Isingiro north) demanded to know how 30 people could embezzle money repeatedly, if the district was recruiting people using the right procedures. Ends

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