MPs blast ISO over Uganda-South Sudan Traders' report

KAMPALA - Top officials from Internal Security Organization (ISO) on Wednesday left MPs investigating non-payment of Uganda South Sudan traders in shock when they admitted to writing an inadequate report on the verification of the traders.

This was after the officers led by the Deputy Director Lt Col. Pius Alitema failed to justify their ‘special' involvement in the verification exercise of the traders.

During the meeting, Alitema informed the committee chaired by Ann Nankabirwa (Kyankwanzi) that in November 2016, ISO received a request from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance to verifying files of 134 companies and individuals claiming payment for the goods supplied to South Sudan.

"From the files, we discovered that only 10 companies were verified and ready for payment. Some of the companies had genuine documents while others did not. We recommended to the government that they present the documents to the joint verification committee," Alitema said.

However, he added that the Security agency could not do much since the verification required a joint committee from both sides.

Alintema then asked the then director Finance and Logistics Dan Mwesigye to explain the issues.

"After the verification, we submitted a report and said those with genuine documents should be paid. Those without documents should be asked to submit them to the joint verification committee," he said before the MPs bombarded him with questions.

The MPs wondered whether the report was adequate.  They also asked the team to explain whether they had received any extra information from the government of South Sudan, the traders or the government of Uganda during the verification exercise.

"This is intriguing, why you were given the role of auditing yet there's the auditor general. Was there something peculiar apart from establishing that the 10 companies had genuine documents and others did not have, what else did you do? Did you receive any secret information about the companies or talk to the South Sudan officials?" Nankabirwa asked.

"So what exactly did you do apart from looking at the files that had been forwarded to you by Ministry of Finance?  What exactly was your role in this verification? How much were you paid for this work and how long did you take to do this job?" MP Stella Kiiza asked.

MP Mathias Mpuga asked whether the report was adequate given their scope of work.

"It was inadequate because it needed the input of the South Sudan verification team," Mwesigye said admitting that the process had gaps.

When the MPs failed to get much from the officials, they adjourned the meeting.

The Committee is investigating the criteria used to select only pay 10 companies out of over 200 companies that are seeking compensation from the government of South Sudan.