Ministers react to CHOGM draft report
May 01, 2010
LEGISLATORS probing the CHOGM expenditure released a 174-page draft report of their findings yesterday. <i>SATURDAY VISION </i>caught up with the officials implicated in the mismanagement of the funds and brings you their reactions to the report.Ministry of works PS, Charles Muganzi <br>
LEGISLATORS probing the CHOGM expenditure released a 174-page draft report of their findings yesterday. SATURDAY VISION caught up with the officials implicated in the mismanagement of the funds and brings you their reactions to the report.Ministry of works PS, Charles Muganzi
He defended his authorisation of payment for the CHOGM cars, saying it was one week to the event and there was no way they could have advertised and procured other cars.
“Full payment was to be made on delivery. Although they had some flaws, the vehicles were delivered and we had no alternative but to take them because it was less than a week to the event. Having used them, we sent delivery notes. What remained unsatisfactory was to be sorted between the two parties. If we didn’t sign the delivery notes they would not have given us the cars. Within one week where would we have got other vehicles from?†he asked.
Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa
He denied having had a conflict on interest in the car purchase deal.
“I was no longer a shareholder in the company that supplied cars, so there was no conflict of interest. I told them that and I hope they carried it in their report. If they did not, I will challenge it in court because both in politics and in law I had no conflict of interest,†he said.
The MPs in their report said foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa should be held responsible for flouting procurement laws when he failed to declare his links with Europecar, which supplied the cars.
“He should be prosecuted for influence-peddling, under the Anti-Corruption Act,†the report states.
Tourism minister Serapio Rukundo
James Mututa, Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya’s press secretary
He denied having recommended J$M hotel on Entebbe Road to receive CHOGM money, saying he only wrote to the ministry of finance for them to guarantee J$M hotel owner Behakanira for a loan from Barclays bank.
“This guarantee for a loan would come to Parliament where we would support it. Did they (PAC) want me as a minister not to support an industry under my docket? He was getting the loan in July yet CHOGM was in November so the two are not related,†he argued.
Bukenya was only representing the President in chairing the cabinet sub-committee on CHOGM, consulting and reporting to him on every matter.
“In the wisdom of the Attorney General when it was sought, the Vice President and the President are fountains of honour who cannot be summoned by the committee. But even when he (Bukenya) volunteered to meet the committee, they said it was too late for him,†he said.
He said the Vice-President was not involved in actual transactions but only made decisions. “There were implementers who were to scrutinise which make of car and how many tyres each should have. These were to be overseen at departmental level in the ministry of works,†he said.
The MPs probing the CHOGM expenditure recommended that Bukenya and several top ministers be prosecuted over the loss of government funds.
In a 174-page draft report, the MPs said Bukenya, who was the chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee, must be held responsible for ordering the procurement of executive BMW cars worth sh9b without following the procurement Act.
The MPs said Bukenya’s action infringed on the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority Act. “The procurement process was marred with irregularities defeating competition which would ensure value for money. Bukenya’s actions were rude, with a hidden agenda. Unfortunately, he refused to appear before the committee to explain his role,†the report added.
The report said Bukenya’s action caused financial loss to the Government for which he must be responsible.
He defended his authorisation of payment for the CHOGM cars, saying it was one week to the event and there was no way they could have advertised and procured other cars.
“Full payment was to be made on delivery. Although they had some flaws, the vehicles were delivered and we had no alternative but to take them because it was less than a week to the event. Having used them, we sent delivery notes. What remained unsatisfactory was to be sorted between the two parties. If we didn’t sign the delivery notes they would not have given us the cars. Within one week where would we have got other vehicles from?†he asked.
Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa
He denied having had a conflict on interest in the car purchase deal.
“I was no longer a shareholder in the company that supplied cars, so there was no conflict of interest. I told them that and I hope they carried it in their report. If they did not, I will challenge it in court because both in politics and in law I had no conflict of interest,†he said.
The MPs in their report said foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa should be held responsible for flouting procurement laws when he failed to declare his links with Europecar, which supplied the cars.
“He should be prosecuted for influence-peddling, under the Anti-Corruption Act,†the report states.
Tourism minister Serapio Rukundo
James Mututa, Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya’s press secretary
He denied having recommended J$M hotel on Entebbe Road to receive CHOGM money, saying he only wrote to the ministry of finance for them to guarantee J$M hotel owner Behakanira for a loan from Barclays bank.
“This guarantee for a loan would come to Parliament where we would support it. Did they (PAC) want me as a minister not to support an industry under my docket? He was getting the loan in July yet CHOGM was in November so the two are not related,†he argued.
Bukenya was only representing the President in chairing the cabinet sub-committee on CHOGM, consulting and reporting to him on every matter.
“In the wisdom of the Attorney General when it was sought, the Vice President and the President are fountains of honour who cannot be summoned by the committee. But even when he (Bukenya) volunteered to meet the committee, they said it was too late for him,†he said.
He said the Vice-President was not involved in actual transactions but only made decisions. “There were implementers who were to scrutinise which make of car and how many tyres each should have. These were to be overseen at departmental level in the ministry of works,†he said.
The MPs probing the CHOGM expenditure recommended that Bukenya and several top ministers be prosecuted over the loss of government funds.
In a 174-page draft report, the MPs said Bukenya, who was the chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee, must be held responsible for ordering the procurement of executive BMW cars worth sh9b without following the procurement Act.
The MPs said Bukenya’s action infringed on the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority Act. “The procurement process was marred with irregularities defeating competition which would ensure value for money. Bukenya’s actions were rude, with a hidden agenda. Unfortunately, he refused to appear before the committee to explain his role,†the report added.
The report said Bukenya’s action caused financial loss to the Government for which he must be responsible.