THE parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) on Saturday grilled Kotido district officials over diversion of school facilitation grants meant for the construction of classrooms.
By Olandason Wanyama
THE parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) on Saturday grilled Kotido district officials over diversion of school facilitation grants meant for the construction of classrooms.
According to the Auditor General’s report, the district authorities diverted sh64m.
The report indicated that the then chief administrative officer, Walter Iriama, authorised the diversion of the money to pay salaries for the district employees.
Iriama is currently the chief administrative officer of Hoima district. The committee was in Moroto district on Friday and Saturday to probe financial impropriety in Kaabong, Kotido and Moroto districts. The probe was chaired by Charles Ekemu.
The PAC team discovered that the money had never been recovered, leading to under-development in the education sector.
When the PAC team pressed the officials further, Iriama said they diverted the money to pay taxes for three new vehicles.
He added that the matter was politicised when the late Cephas Aleper showed interest of standing as the district chairperson in 2006.
Iriama said sh25m had been recovered from local revenue.