Museveni faces CHOGM probe today
Apr 28, 2010
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni is expected to meet the CHOGM probe today.The committee said the meeting takes place at the State House Entebbe in the afternoon.
By Mary Karugaba
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni is expected to meet the CHOGM probe today.The committee said the meeting takes place at the State House Entebbe in the afternoon.
“The chairman received a call from the President’s Office inviting us to the meeting,†a source said late last night.
The MPs of the public accounts committee earlier this month requested to meet the President and brief him about the investigation. They also wanted to ask him to clarify allegations that he authorised some expenditures in which taxpayers’s money may have been lost.
The President last year ordered the Auditor General to investigate CHOGM expenditures after it came to light that the expenditure had jumped to sh370b, from the approved sh270b. The committee now fears the bill could hit sh500b.
Lead counsel Tom Kazibwe said the committee will raise a number of issues to the President ranging from the procurement of the sh9b cars, the sh3b investments in J&M Hotel and the death of its proprietor three days after meeting the committee.
They will also ask the President to explain the sh10b spent on security equipment, which was not budgeted for CHOGM.
The failure of Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and agriculture minister Hope Mwesigye to appear before the committee will also come up.
“They should not go and say they were never given a chance to be heard,†Kazibwe said.
Mwesigye, the then local government state minister, is required to explain how sh6.3b was spent on the beautification of roads in Kampala and Entebbe.
Corruption in ministries and reports that some ministers described the committee as a torture chamber will also be presented to the President. “How do we fight corruption when ministers are demeaning us,†Kazibwe wondered.
Musevbeni is also expected to say if he knew that the cost of the security equipment was inflated by $1.8m, and yet it was never supplied.
The sources said after meeting the President, the committee will take a few days to conclude its report.
“The report should be ready by Monday. We hope to deal with the recommendations after meeting the President,†sources said.
The most controversial expenditures included the following:
CHOHM cars:
Bukenya reportedly interfered with the tendering process for the cars, at one point halting it before finally ordering for direct negotiations with the supplier.
Bukenya, who said he made the decision after consulting the President, snubbed the committee when it summoned him to explain the deal. He said the committee had no powers to do so. When he later asked the MPs to allow him to meet them, they, in turn, refused. Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa, whose company at the time was linked to the car deal, also said the President endorsed it. Now the MPs want the President to clarify the matter.
J&M Airport Road Hotel:
James Mugume, the permanent secretary of foreign affairs, said Museveni sanctioned the release of $1.3m to the hotel, which received the money three days to CHOGM although it was not on the list of the selected hotels. No guest stayed in the hotel either.
Proprietor Joseph Behakanira told the committee it was not his fault. But he agreed to turn the government contribution into shares. However, he died three days after a meeting the committee. Some blamed his death on the committee, which they called torture chamber.
Chogm security equipment:
The MPs said sh10b was diverted from the e-government loan project to purchase security equipment, which had not been part of the CHOGM expenditure. Although the auditor general did not know about it, the President reportedly sanctioned it.
Road construction:
The expenditure on this item rose to over sh90b, some of which was reportedly spent on building roads to private residences of government officials. One such beneficiary was foreign affairs state minister Isaac Musumba.
Despite the huge expenditure, most of the roads have already developed potholes, raising the possibility of shoddy work.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni is expected to meet the CHOGM probe today.The committee said the meeting takes place at the State House Entebbe in the afternoon.
“The chairman received a call from the President’s Office inviting us to the meeting,†a source said late last night.
The MPs of the public accounts committee earlier this month requested to meet the President and brief him about the investigation. They also wanted to ask him to clarify allegations that he authorised some expenditures in which taxpayers’s money may have been lost.
The President last year ordered the Auditor General to investigate CHOGM expenditures after it came to light that the expenditure had jumped to sh370b, from the approved sh270b. The committee now fears the bill could hit sh500b.
Lead counsel Tom Kazibwe said the committee will raise a number of issues to the President ranging from the procurement of the sh9b cars, the sh3b investments in J&M Hotel and the death of its proprietor three days after meeting the committee.
They will also ask the President to explain the sh10b spent on security equipment, which was not budgeted for CHOGM.
The failure of Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya and agriculture minister Hope Mwesigye to appear before the committee will also come up.
“They should not go and say they were never given a chance to be heard,†Kazibwe said.
Mwesigye, the then local government state minister, is required to explain how sh6.3b was spent on the beautification of roads in Kampala and Entebbe.
Corruption in ministries and reports that some ministers described the committee as a torture chamber will also be presented to the President. “How do we fight corruption when ministers are demeaning us,†Kazibwe wondered.
Musevbeni is also expected to say if he knew that the cost of the security equipment was inflated by $1.8m, and yet it was never supplied.
The sources said after meeting the President, the committee will take a few days to conclude its report.
“The report should be ready by Monday. We hope to deal with the recommendations after meeting the President,†sources said.
The most controversial expenditures included the following:
CHOHM cars:
Bukenya reportedly interfered with the tendering process for the cars, at one point halting it before finally ordering for direct negotiations with the supplier.
Bukenya, who said he made the decision after consulting the President, snubbed the committee when it summoned him to explain the deal. He said the committee had no powers to do so. When he later asked the MPs to allow him to meet them, they, in turn, refused. Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa, whose company at the time was linked to the car deal, also said the President endorsed it. Now the MPs want the President to clarify the matter.
J&M Airport Road Hotel:
James Mugume, the permanent secretary of foreign affairs, said Museveni sanctioned the release of $1.3m to the hotel, which received the money three days to CHOGM although it was not on the list of the selected hotels. No guest stayed in the hotel either.
Proprietor Joseph Behakanira told the committee it was not his fault. But he agreed to turn the government contribution into shares. However, he died three days after a meeting the committee. Some blamed his death on the committee, which they called torture chamber.
Chogm security equipment:
The MPs said sh10b was diverted from the e-government loan project to purchase security equipment, which had not been part of the CHOGM expenditure. Although the auditor general did not know about it, the President reportedly sanctioned it.
Road construction:
The expenditure on this item rose to over sh90b, some of which was reportedly spent on building roads to private residences of government officials. One such beneficiary was foreign affairs state minister Isaac Musumba.
Despite the huge expenditure, most of the roads have already developed potholes, raising the possibility of shoddy work.