Africa-Press – Uganda. The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested six senior officials in Mbale City on allegations of false accountability and under declaration of revenue.
The suspects include the Speaker, Ms Miriam Nambuya, the Senior Human Resource officer, Mr Abdul Higenyi, the Principal Health Inspector, Mr Charles Wandera, the Clerk to Council, Ms Annet Wabule, the Assistant Accountant, Mr Martin Busiku.
The suspects were invited for an interface with the State House team at Mbale City Council chambers, from where they were arrested and detained at Mbale City Police station. They were released on Tuesday after recording statements to aid investigations.
Ms Mariam Natasha Oduka, the unit’s spokesperson, told Monitor that the officials were arrested over causing financial losses to government.
“The officials have been arrested on accusation of false accountability on local revenue collection and mismanagement of payroll,” she said.
Ms Oduka said the councillors connived and passed a motion to reduce the property rate from 8 percent to 4 percent causing financial loss.
Ms Natasha said Mr Wandera charged several hotel staff in various hotels medical examination fees and issued them with fake receipts.
“He was regularly getting money but he didn’t remit it to the council account. The former assistant town clerk, Mr Busiku committed the government to a contract worth Shs74 million and embezzled funds,” she said.
She added that Mr Amidu Gidudu, the assistant accountant, connived with other officials and embezzled more than Shs43 million meant to construct a perimeter wall fence at Mayor Primary school.
Ms Natasha also said Mr Higenyi put ghost staff on the payroll.
“He regularly made payments of Shs3 billion to over 401 teachers and tertiary institutions. He also cost the government a loss of about Shs104 million,” she said.
The Mbale City Clerk, Mr Ambrose Ocen, told the investigating team that some contractors have since sued the council for failure to pay them.
“The council contracted some contractors to do the work and they completed the works but the council failed to pay since there was no money and they decided to sue the council,” Mr Ocen said.
Mr Gidudu, however, said he was directed to pay the councillors using the Shs43m that had been meant for construction of the school fence.
Monitor learnt that most of the officials abandoned their offices in fear after they learnt of the arrest of their colleagues.
The Resident City Commissioner of Mbale, Mr John Rex Aachilla, applauded the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and called upon everyone to be part of the fight against corruption.
“Corruption is a challenge for everybody and we are at war in fighting it. We all know the effects of corruption and we know that we can’t have service delivery when we have corruption,” Mr Aachilla said.
Ms Harriet Namono, a businesswoman, said traders pay taxes but the money is never remitted .
“It hurts me when you find taxpayers who have been paying tax for the last 10 years but in front of their businesses there is a running sewerage from January to December, but council is doing nothing,” Ms Namono said.
Mbale City Council has been on the spot over corruption, mismanaging local revenue, selling open places and road reserves, among others.
In the previous financial year, the council suffered a shortfall of more than Shs2b in local revenue collection as it only got Shs900m of the projected Shs3.5b.
The shortfall prompted the former Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Mr Peter Ogwang, to call for a forensic audit into the local revenue management for the last five financial years in the council.
Mr Ismail Mukankadi, the Mbale City works secretary, said the Principal Finance Officer has severally presented financial reports containing discrepancies.
Mr Rogers Kimaswa, the chairperson of Public Accounts Committee, welcomed the idea of arresting the officials. “They have been acting with impunity because our people untouchable. Let the law take its course,” Mr Kimaswa said on Tuesday.
By presstime, the suspects were still under detention and Monitor could not get their responses to the allegations.
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