Fort Portal City senior finance officer interdicted over abuse of office
Fort Portal City Senior Finance Officer, Ms Pamela Karungi. Photo | Courtesy
What you need to know:
- The interdiction is meant to allow smooth investigations being undertaken by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the police.
The Fort Portal City clerk, Mr Moses Otimong, has interdicted the Senior Finance Officer, Ms Pamela Karungi over allegations of abuse of office and causing financial loss to the city.
The interdiction is meant to allow smooth investigations being undertaken by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the police.
"I wish to bring to your attention that pursuant to public service commission regulation (Reg No. 38), you have forthwith been interdicted from duty effective today to allow investigations,” Mr Otimong’s letter dated August 8 reads in part.
During her interdiction period, Ms Karungi will continue receiving half of her basic pay.
In June this year, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Local Government, Mr Ben Kumumanya directed the City Clerk to interdict Kirungi over alleged financial mismanagement.
However, Otimong in his letter, alleges that the capitation grant worth Shs180.6 million meant for secondary schools was wrongly transferred to other institutions like the Fort Portal School of clinical officers, Canon Apollo Core PTC, and the Central Division operations.
He said the wrong transfer of funds disadvantaged secondary schools as they could not implement their planned activities.
Financial loss
In September 2021, Otimong said, the accused officer failed to advise the Fort Portal City North Division accounting officer against irregularly borrowing Shs21.9 million.
“You also failed to effect withholding tax amounting to Shs27.7 million from payments processed and made to Fort Portal lorry drivers association and China Wu YI Company Ltd in June 2021.”
Mr Otimong said the act resulted in the criminal investigations directorate in liaison with the State House anti-corruption unit charging her Vide ACU/GEF/O96/2022 for alleged abuse of office, embezzlement and causing financial loss to Fort Portal city.
When contacted on Wednesday, Ms Kirungi declined to comment on the matter saying: "I have nothing to say on that letter of interdiction."
