Cabinet okays junk chopper prosecutions
THE Cabinet has upheld recommendations by the Justice Julia Ssebutinde commission to punish the officials who caused financial loss of more than US$7m (sh14b) to Uganda in the 1997 botched purchase of two junk MI-24 attack helicopters.
By Alfred Wasike and Felix Osike
THE Cabinet has upheld recommendations by the Justice Julia Ssebutinde commission to punish the officials who caused financial loss of more than US$7m (sh14b) to Uganda in the 1997 botched purchase of two junk MI-24 attack helicopters.
In a 61-page Government white paper on the 509 Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry Into The Purchase of Military Helicopters, the Cabinet endorsed the recommendation that: “all officials of the Ministry of Defence, the Uganda Peoples Defence Airforce (UPDAF), Bank of Uganda or any other person, implicated should be held accountable for causing financial loss to Government or for corruption.â€
The white paper was presented to Parliament on Tuesday by state minister for defence Ruth Nankabirwa.
The Cabinet has referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) while military personnel implicated in the scam “should also be subjected to disciplinary action in accordance with the NRA Statute 1992.â€
The officials held directly liable for the loss and should be punished for corruption, fraud, negligence and other offences include the former UPDF Chief of Logistics and Engineering, Col Kiiza Besigye, Lt Gen Salim Saleh, Emmanuel Katto, his wife Naomi, the owners of Consolidated Sales Limited, the go-between.
Others endorsed for punishment include a businessman, Kwame Ruyondo, former defence ministry PS Dr Ben Mbonye, the UPDAF deputy director, Col Joshua Masaba, UPDAF official, Lt J.B. Muwanga,
A pilot, Col Getahun Kassa, former Bank of Uganda, commercial banking director Cyprian Mwa, former International Credit Bank (ICB) managing director, Patrick Katto, the Uganda Air Cargo corporation secretary, Major Charles Wacha, are among those to be punished.
The Cabinet also directed that the two MI-24 helicopters be immediately overhauled and put to use.
The aircraft have been lying idle since they were delivered at Entebbe airbase on March 1, 1998 from Belarus, a former Soviet Republic.
The commission established that the Government lost $3,459,925 in commissions, $2,342,241 meant for accessories, ammunitions and spare parts, $790,000 being the combined cost of commissioning services for the two helicopters and salaries and allowances of trainers and $216,000 for six experts’ salaries.
The Government also lost $468,000 and sh28,080,000 in food rations, medical care, local/foreign travel for the experts and their families while in Uganda.
The Cabinet ordered that the Attorney General lifts CSC’s corporate veil and proceed personally against Emma Katto, his wife, their overseas colleagues, Max Waterman, Chris Smith and others to recover special damages for the cost of overhaul of the two helicopters.
It said $790,000 being the cost of commission and training services not delivered; and $2,342,241.00 being the balance of undelivered spare parts, arms and ammunition should also be recovered from former CSC directors.
The Cabinet also upheld a recommendation blacklisting Katto and CSC from further supplying the Ministry of Defence and any other government department with any goods or services.
The Cabinet also noted that the defence ministry should establish procurement procedures for all its purchases.
THE Cabinet has upheld recommendations by the Justice Julia Ssebutinde commission to punish the officials who caused financial loss of more than US$7m (sh14b) to Uganda in the 1997 botched purchase of two junk MI-24 attack helicopters.
In a 61-page Government white paper on the 509 Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry Into The Purchase of Military Helicopters, the Cabinet endorsed the recommendation that: “all officials of the Ministry of Defence, the Uganda Peoples Defence Airforce (UPDAF), Bank of Uganda or any other person, implicated should be held accountable for causing financial loss to Government or for corruption.â€
The white paper was presented to Parliament on Tuesday by state minister for defence Ruth Nankabirwa.
The Cabinet has referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) while military personnel implicated in the scam “should also be subjected to disciplinary action in accordance with the NRA Statute 1992.â€
The officials held directly liable for the loss and should be punished for corruption, fraud, negligence and other offences include the former UPDF Chief of Logistics and Engineering, Col Kiiza Besigye, Lt Gen Salim Saleh, Emmanuel Katto, his wife Naomi, the owners of Consolidated Sales Limited, the go-between.
Others endorsed for punishment include a businessman, Kwame Ruyondo, former defence ministry PS Dr Ben Mbonye, the UPDAF deputy director, Col Joshua Masaba, UPDAF official, Lt J.B. Muwanga,
A pilot, Col Getahun Kassa, former Bank of Uganda, commercial banking director Cyprian Mwa, former International Credit Bank (ICB) managing director, Patrick Katto, the Uganda Air Cargo corporation secretary, Major Charles Wacha, are among those to be punished.
The Cabinet also directed that the two MI-24 helicopters be immediately overhauled and put to use.
The aircraft have been lying idle since they were delivered at Entebbe airbase on March 1, 1998 from Belarus, a former Soviet Republic.
The commission established that the Government lost $3,459,925 in commissions, $2,342,241 meant for accessories, ammunitions and spare parts, $790,000 being the combined cost of commissioning services for the two helicopters and salaries and allowances of trainers and $216,000 for six experts’ salaries.
The Government also lost $468,000 and sh28,080,000 in food rations, medical care, local/foreign travel for the experts and their families while in Uganda.
The Cabinet ordered that the Attorney General lifts CSC’s corporate veil and proceed personally against Emma Katto, his wife, their overseas colleagues, Max Waterman, Chris Smith and others to recover special damages for the cost of overhaul of the two helicopters.
It said $790,000 being the cost of commission and training services not delivered; and $2,342,241.00 being the balance of undelivered spare parts, arms and ammunition should also be recovered from former CSC directors.
The Cabinet also upheld a recommendation blacklisting Katto and CSC from further supplying the Ministry of Defence and any other government department with any goods or services.
The Cabinet also noted that the defence ministry should establish procurement procedures for all its purchases.