MPs throw out officials from Privatisation unit

By John Odyek The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee yesterday threw out senior officials from the Privatisation Unit and ministry of finance for failing to answer questions on the divestiture accounts.“We will give you time to go back and answer the questions. The divestiture account attracts a lot of interest to politicians. We need thorough information. We will adjourn to April 17,” the committee chairman, Dr Okullo Epak, (Oyam South) said.The meeting aborted after it had shortly started in Parliament.Michael Opagi, the Privatisation Unit director and G Bwoch, the finance ministry accounts director, appeared before the committee to answer queries raised in the Auditor General’s 1998/99 report regarding the divestiture accounts.The first questions were related to 12 companies which defaulted on their payments for shares in public enterprises totalling to sh16b and are in arrears for one year to over four years. The companies include African Textile Mills, Nytil, Print Pak, Lira Hotel, Hill Top Hotel, Printpak, Nytil, Uganda Fisheries and Lango Development Company.Opagi said he would provide details required by the committee such as the sales agreements which authorised the sale of these companies and copies of audited reports. Jack Sabiiti (Rukiga) queried whether the unit could provide the details showing where the money received was.