The Parliamentary Committee on Public Service and Local Government has requested the Speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, to extend its investigation into the botched local council bicycle scheme by another one week, after new evidence was brought forward that requires new witnesses to be summoned.
The committee has been investigating the mismanagement of 4.7 billion shillings meant to purchase 70,000 bicycles for lower local council officials.
The Committee vice chairperson and MP for Igara West, Raphael Magyezi, said on Tuesday afternoon that they would summon the Solicitor General, Harriet Lwabi and the Minister of Local Government, Adolf Mwesige, to explain what their roles were in the procurement of the bicycles. Magyezi said Lwabi is wanted by the committee in regard to the contract where payment was done based on photocopied pictures of the bicycles and acceptance of a partial delivery.
Minister Mwesige meanwhile is wanted to explain reports by the Local Government Permanent Secretary, John Muhanguzi Kashaka and his Principal Accountant, Henry Bamutura, that there was political pressure piled against them to speed up the procurement of the bicycles, in disregard of the procedures.
The Solicitor General was originally not on the list of witnesses to appear before the committee, which was scheduled to wind up its investigations on Tuesday.
Magyezi explains that so far his committee has gathered very substantial and useful information from the witnesses and is hopeful that some money would be recovered.
He said the testimony by Bank of Uganda officials has revealed a possibility of invoking the insurance cover for the procurement to recover the money. He said that an Insurer had provided a cover of up to two million dollars, an equivalent of about Six billion shillings for the entire deal.
He revealed that some of the recommendations they will make include court action against Bank of Uganda officials who flouted rules that allowed the money to get stolen. He said other senior officials from the ministry of local government are also guilty of flouting several rules in the deal.
Magyezi has mentioned recommendations to the Accountant General’s office, Treasury and Head of Civil Service on how civil servants should deal with the question of political pressure from political heads in ministries.
He said they would emphasize recovery of the money or any part of it as a priority in their recommendation. He noted that as a result, they are seeking authorization from the
Speaker to request for a freezing of accounts of the Indian company involved, as well as that of the principal witness, Patrick Bagarukayo.
