Ebiru comes under fresh IGG fire over corruption

The embattled Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Executive Director (ED), Mr Livingstone Ebiru, yesterday reportedly denied bribing officials on the National Standards Council.

While meeting officials from the Inspectorate of Government (IG), Mr Ebiru retracted claims he made before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (Cosase) that he offered the 10-member council a Shs100m bribe to secure his job.

Mr Ebiru appeared at the IG’s office on Parliament Avenue, Kampala at 11am, accompanied by two lawyers.

A source, who attended the IG meeting but asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Mr Ebiru was interviewed for almost an hour.

“He was asked about the Shs100m he gave to the council and why. He tried to deny the allegations before making a u-turn, stating that he said it out of anger before the Cosase,” the source said.

Mr Ebiru, who was reportedly interviewed by a senior manager from the Directorate of Special Investigations, took a while to start cooperating with the investigators.

“At some point, there was a heated argument in the interview room until he calmed down,” the source said.

Mr Ebiru’s trip to the IG offices followed a summon issued by the inspectorate on Friday last week after the Cosase meeting to furnish the inspectorate with information regarding the case.

However, on July 21, Mr Ebiru wrote to the IGG notifying her that he was before Cosase and did not know when the meeting would end, thus seeking more time.

“This is, therefore, a request that our client is given an audience on another date, either Wednesday 26 or Thursday 27, 2023, at a time of your choosing for purposes of appearing before the Inspectorate of Government,” the letter read in part.

But the Deputy IGG, Ms Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe, issued a warrant of arrest against him last week.

After the interview with the IG, Mr Ebiru, who was not handcuffed, was ushered into a waiting van with a government number plate and driven to the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala.

While addressing journalists, the spokesperson of the IGG, Ms Muniru Ali, said the ED was taken to court to respond to another summon issued by the court on the same day.

Mr Ebiru faces a charge of corruption at the court.

Prior to his arrival, the prosecution led by Mr Rogers Kinobe told the court that Mr Ebiru was still at the IG offices for interrogation.

“Your worship, in the circumstances, we pray for criminal summons for a date convenient to the court so that we, as prosecution, can also use that time to get more information in preparation for the trial,” Mr Kinobe said.

Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro concurred with the state’s submission and issued criminal summons against Mr Ebiru to appear in court on August 8 for plea taking.

According to the charge sheet, Mr Ebiru, being employed in public service as the UNBS ED, between October and December 2022, corruptly offered gratification of Shs100 million to Charles Masekuura as an inducement to secure his job.

Mr Ebiru spent a relatively short time at the court before returning to the IGG’s office.

Ms Munira said this was because new details had emerged that they needed to question the ED about. She did not reveal the new details.

Mr Ebiru was given an IG bond after [presenting] two sureties, and is expected to appear before the IGG on Friday next week, according to Ms Munira.

Ms Munira said they are still looking for more evidence to pin Mr Ebiru.

Background

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Executive Director (ED), Mr Livingstone Ebiru,  Ebiru has been under investigation by Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises  over various issues that were raised in the Attorney General’s report.

He is, among others, accused of causing the misappropriation of government funds amounting to Shs12.5 billion and shielding five staff under his watch who are said to have caused a financial loss of Shs9.28 billion.

The National Standards Council leadership has since appointed Mr Daniel Richard Makayi Nangalama as the acting executive director of UNBS.

 Mr Ebiru previously served as the deputy ED in charge of management and financial services.

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