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NGO drags Lwengo officials to police over sale of district assets
Lwengo District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mr Aggrey Muramira (left) interacts with some district staff on June 4, 2021. PHOTO/WILSON KUTAMBA
What you need to know:
- Preliminary investigations indicate that district property including three vehicles and three motorcycles were sold to district staff at only Shs9 million during the FY2020/2021.
A Lwengo-based civil society organisation, Volunteer Uganda Extra has dragged five district officials to police for allegedly disposing of public assets without following the due procedures.
The district officials on the spot include; Joseph Mulumba, the district inspector of schools, district engineer, Mr Robert Kaweesi, Mr Aggrey Mulimira, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mr Frank Telibine, the procurement officer and Kyazanga Town Council clerk, Mr Muhammad Nfitemukiza.
They are accused of selling district property such as vehicles, office furniture and computers among others which were reportedly undervalued, causing a financial loss to the district.
Preliminary investigations indicate that district property including three vehicles and three motorcycles were sold to district staff at only Shs9 million during the FY2020/2021 without following legal formalities of disposal of state assets.
Mr Bruce Tushabe Nzabanita, the coordinator of Volunteer Uganda Extra, some of the vehicles sold to the district officials under unclear circumstances were still in good state and functioning with high residual value.
“We have opened up a criminal case at Lwengo Police Station against the public officials who fraudulently bought the district vehicles and have refused to transfer and register the vehicles into private number plates which is a liability to government in case a vehicle gets an accident,” he said during an interview on Tuesday.
“We are moving ahead to petition the IGG to intervene so that these people can leave office so that investigations can move smoothly,” he added.
Lwengo District acting Police Commander, Mr Francis Okongo said police have opened two cases including abuse of office and conspiracy to cause financial loss to the government against the accused district officials.
“We are going to record statements from the accused officials and proceed with our investigations,” he told Daily Monitor.
However, Mr Mulamira , dismissed claims that the district assets were fraudulently disposed of, insisting that all necessary procedures were followed.
The Lwengo District boss, Mr Ibrahim Kitatta recently revealed that the disposed of vehicles were among the 19 which have been grounded for two years.
However, a district staff disclosed on condition of anonymity that ‘‘many district vehicles are usually grounded deliberately even when they can still move.’’
Mr Mfitemukiza denied having bought one of the district vehicles.
“I am also not aware of any police case against me,” he said
Local Government minister, Mr Raphael Magyezi recently told journalists that they are investigating purported illegal auctions of government assets.
What the law says
The Public Procurement & Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) Act stipulates guidelines for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) for disposing of assets.
The law gives power to accounting officers every financial year to identify and review assets to be disposed of in the following financial year.
The law also forbids public officers from participating in “any disposal process as a bidder, except under the sale to public officers’ method.”
