Sh38m Lost On Ghost Teachers
Sep 15, 2002
MEMBERS of Parliament have asked Tororo District officials to ensure the recovery of sh38m the district lost on ghost teachers’ sala-ries recorded for the financial year ending June 1999.
By Cyprian Musoke
MEMBERS of Parliament have asked Tororo District officials to ensure the recovery of sh38m the district lost on ghost teachers’ sala-ries recorded for the financial year ending June 1999.
The money, queried in the Auditor General’s report now before Parliament, appears to have been embezzled. The Auditor General recommends in his report that action should be taken to recover the loss.
“A sum of sh38.5m was paid as teachers’ salaries between September 1997 and August 1998. However, it was discovered in the course of audit that the teachers were non-existent,†the Auditor General queried.
“Todate, the fate of the money is not known. It would appear that the money was embezzled. Action should be taken to recover the loss,†the report adds.
Appearing before the Local Government Accounts Committee of Parliament recently to answer the charges, the Chief Administrative Officer S.P.O. Oboth explained that the suspects in this case were prosecuted, but all of them were acquitted.
Oboth, who appeared for the second time together with his Chief Finance Officer Mathew Alinga, was also asked to explain a shortfall in revenue collection to the tune of sh339m. The district irregularities in the collection of graduated tax especially the areas of development and education tax.
“Generally collection of graduated tax, other than that from the traditional civil servants which is handled at the district is a difficult exercise. There are usually many defaulters in any single year,†he said.
Ends
MEMBERS of Parliament have asked Tororo District officials to ensure the recovery of sh38m the district lost on ghost teachers’ sala-ries recorded for the financial year ending June 1999.
The money, queried in the Auditor General’s report now before Parliament, appears to have been embezzled. The Auditor General recommends in his report that action should be taken to recover the loss.
“A sum of sh38.5m was paid as teachers’ salaries between September 1997 and August 1998. However, it was discovered in the course of audit that the teachers were non-existent,†the Auditor General queried.
“Todate, the fate of the money is not known. It would appear that the money was embezzled. Action should be taken to recover the loss,†the report adds.
Appearing before the Local Government Accounts Committee of Parliament recently to answer the charges, the Chief Administrative Officer S.P.O. Oboth explained that the suspects in this case were prosecuted, but all of them were acquitted.
Oboth, who appeared for the second time together with his Chief Finance Officer Mathew Alinga, was also asked to explain a shortfall in revenue collection to the tune of sh339m. The district irregularities in the collection of graduated tax especially the areas of development and education tax.
“Generally collection of graduated tax, other than that from the traditional civil servants which is handled at the district is a difficult exercise. There are usually many defaulters in any single year,†he said.
Ends