Fraud: IGG asks parliament to refund Shs100m

The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Irene Mulyagonja has ordered Clerk to Parliament Jane L. Kibirige to ensure that two officials refund about Shs100 million that was meant to facilitate them attend a seminar Wilton Park, an executive agency of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office providing a global forum for strategic discussion.

Following an allegation, an investigation by the IGG has established that Emmanuel Bakwega-Director of Clerks and Paul Wabwire -Deputy Clerk Parliamentary Affairs, did not attend the purported training over four years ago and instead spent the money on their private business.

The two officials were advanced a total of Shs99, 235, 200 to attend a seminar, “Beyond aid: Innovative Governance, Financing and Partnerships for post 2015 Agenda.”

The IGG in her letter dated August 8, 2019 said the duo failed to produce evidence of attending the said seminar and that the information obtained from Wilton Park through the British High Commission and its website indicates that the seminar actually took place in February 2015 and not in June 2016 as indicated by Bakwega and Wabwire.

According to the IGG, Wilton Park did not invite the two officials to attend the seminar. “Wilton Park also denied issuing invitation letters, invoices and receipts that were submitted by the above officials as part of the accountability documents.”

She said her investigation concluded that the two officials embezzled the money which she wants be refunded on Inspectorate of Government Assets Recovery Account 003030088000007 in Bank of Uganda.

Bakwega is tasked to refund Shs48, 139,600 while Wabwire must refund 51,095,600 to the above account. Failure by the duo to refund the money will lead to prosecution.

At the same time the IGG wants the duo be disciplined by the Parliamentary Commission for fraudulently accounting for the money they did not use as requested for. The officials are supposed to be disciplined within two months from the date of the IGG wrote to Clerk to Parliament.

In the related transaction, the IGG wants other officials such as Kasule Abdul Kajimu, Julian Kaganzi, Patrick Lassu and Sam Bosio to be submitted to Parliamentary Commission to be reprimanded for neglect of duty and breach of procurement procedures while procuring a camera that had its parts delivered in bits.

Meanwhile the Director of Information and Communications at Parliament, Chris Obore was exonerated by the IGG after it was alleged he procured a camera at Shs148 million and a stand at Sh3.4 million in June 2015. It was discovered that Obore had not joined that institution when the camera was procured.