Akabway Grilled Over URA Staff

By Milton OlupotTHE Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Deputy Commissioner General in-charge of Administration, Stephen Akabway, was yesterday grilled by the URA probe commission for failure to discipline errant officers.The commission chaired by Lady Justice Julia Ssebutinde took Akabway to task for recalling staff implicated in messing up a sh70m fencing project for the URA headquarters from forced leave in 2000 and failing to prosecute them.Akabway, then the acting Commissioner General, recalled the Assistant Commissioner for Administration, Jack Bigirwa and five other URA staff involved in the suspicious deal that led to loss of public funds. Akabway, however, said he relied entirely on the report and advice from two senior URA lawyers who were told to investigate the matter. They advised that the rest be recalled while Bigirwa would be recalled and warned and later his salary was cut to recover sh3.5m that he failed to account for.He said the two, Frank Kajwara and Grace Bitariho, said in their reports that there was no evidence to warrant prosecution or termination of their jobs. “My lord, I relied heavily on the judgement of the URA senior lawyers,” Akabway said.Kajwara also insisted before the commission that according to the URA code of conduct, recovery of the money and a caution was an appropriate punishment. Deputy Commissioner General in-charge of Finance Justin Zaake and Deputy Commissioner for Finance Joash Muhumuza were also warned for their involvement in the mess. Zaake was accused of failure to supervise the project appropriately. He accepted personal responsibility for the mess.Ends