Members of Parliament under the Public accounts Committee have accused Politicians and members of the technical staff of conniving to embezzle public funds.
More than 15 Members of the Public Accounts Committee of parliament, led by MP Jack Sabiiti of Rukiga grilled over 12 chief admisnative officers from the Southern Districts for failing to account for close to 10billion shillings as reflected by the auditor general’s report.
The MPs also detained three Masaka town Clerks for One day for allegedly embezzling 260shillings meant for provision social services in the municipality.
They include Nick Byegira, the former Masaka town Clerk, Johnson Munono Baryantuma, the current town Clerk, and his assistant Benon Yiga. They were released on police bond and were also ordered to take the requirement expenditure documents to Kampala for verification within one week.
Sabiiti, has told URN that the committee has found out that politicians collude with town clerks and Chief administrative officers to embezzle public funds. Sabiiti gives the example of Masaka, Sembabule, Rakai and Lyantonde.
He says they have discovered that although the town clerks and chief administrative officers in these districts claim to have spent close to 3billion shillings to upgrade roads,there is no work on the ground to authenticate these claims.
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Musa Bogere, a Masaka Resident agrees with the Members of Parliament. Bogere explains that last year, Masaka Municipality launched campaign to upgrade Yellow Line, Hobart Street, and Kimanya –Bukoba bypass but the roads which were supposed to get tarmac are still hipped with marrum.
Bogere, a boda motorist claims the construction work stalled shortly after it was launched. According to Bogere, Godfrey Kayemba, the Masaka Mayor has never done anything about the reconstruction of stalled road work.
Godfrey Kayemba, the Masaka Mayor however denies keeping quiet when he was elected. He claims he is still investigating the bills of quantities, agreements and the company tendered to construct the stalled work. He says he wants to know whether money was given out or not yet.
Responding to MP Jack Sabiiti’s allegations, Benon Mugabi, the Rakai LC5 Chairman also told URN that he supports the Mps findings. He however says he will not allow such collusion to take place in Rakai. He accuses the former LC5 Vincent Ssemakula of such tendencies.
Vincent Ssemakula has not commented on Mugabi’s allegations.
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