{UAH} THE MUKIGA SHOULD QUIT: OPM Officials fail to Account for condolence cash meant for 2011 Kyadondo and Kabalagala Bomb Victims

CASH DIVERSION

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Category: Politics News

Published on 20 January 2014

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Fury as OPM Officials fail to Account for condolence cash meant for 2011 Kyadondo and Kabalagala Bomb Victims

 By Kanakulya S Galiwango

Sad news reaching our desk has it that Shs205m out of the ShsIbn condolence cash that government extended to the July 2011 bombing at Kyaddondo and Kabalagala ended up stolen.

Whereas Shs794m was passed over to the Premier’s office for the purpose, Auditor General Sabiiti Muwanga sadly reveals there he is yet to receive accountability documents proving that the cash was used as intended.

Interestingly, Parliament had allowed a supplementary budget of Shs1Bn to cover the compensation, but the Premier’s office passed on only a total of Shs794m to the Internal Affairs Ministry.

Disturbingly, it has now emerged that there is even no accountability for the Shs794m, meaning a big chunk could have ended up stolen.

Explaining the anomaly, OPM Permanent Secretary Christine Guwatudde Kintu told the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) that the documents because the OPM’s former Principal Accountant Geoffrey Kazinda did not hand over documents before he was forcefully thrown out of office.

Though the new Principal Accountant Kenneth Mugume said the Internal Affairs Ministry returned Shs50m to the Premier’s Office, he did not have documentary evidence to back up it up.

Pissed by the wanting explanations, PAC’s lead counsel Eddie Kwizera sought to know where  the OPM office put the Shs205m as only Shs794m was passed onto Internal Affairs.

Why the OPM passed on the money to Internal Affairs to dish out to the bomb victims yet there is a working Disaster Preparedness Ministry in place was also a point of bother for Kwizera and for all the committee members.

Later, Mugume retorted that it was a decision taken by cabinet. PAC Chairman and Terego MP Kassiano Wadri tasked OPM officials to provide a list of bomb victims who were compensated with and the officer who did it.

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Gwokto La'Kitgum

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