Global Fund had no rules, probe told

Apr 03, 2006

THE Global Fund project was running without official management rules, the commission of inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of the Fund heard yesterday.

By J. Odyek & J. Etyang

THE Global Fund project was running without official management rules, the commission of inquiry into the alleged mismanagement of the Fund heard yesterday.

The Justice James Ogoola-chaired commission grilled Dr. Tiberius Muhebwa, the project coordinator of the Project Management Unit (PMU), for running the programme without having an approved governing manual.

The Fund grants were suspended last August after an audit report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers alleged there was gross mismanagement.

The Project implementation Manual (PIM) was the equivalent of the project constitution, providing guidelines on how the PMU should select recipients for funds, disburse money and verify accountability.

“How would the recipients know what criteria to use for reporting? How would the PMU select the sub-recipients if PIM was not approved? How would they know what governs them?”

commissioner Dr. Margaret Mungherera asked after Muhebwa said the PIM was never approved.

The commission presented documents which showed that the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), which was responsible for approving the PIM, had put it on agenda for discussion.

The CCM, which was first headed by Prof. Francis Omaswa, was the supreme governing body of the Global Fund.

But Muhebwa asked that PIM should not be discussed in the meeting and did not forward it for subsequent meetings.

Two consultants from the US were developing a draft PIM and it was Muhebwa duty to see to it that the document was completed and presented for approval.

Muhebwa said he had made some changes to the draft PIM and wanted the CCM to make amendments before it was approved.

But the commission noted that there was no record showing that the CCM was discussing his proposed amendments.

Muhebwa also said there were other documents which PMU adhered to, citing procurement guidelines adopted from Geneva.

But Ogoola said the PIM was the project’s supreme law and blamed Muhebwa for not ensuring that it was approved and implemented.

“You cannot run a huge project like this one without certainty of rules and procedures and as the head of the project, this stands on your head,” Ogoola told Muhebwa.

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