Anti-Corruption Unit Arrests Engineers In Kigezi Region
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has arrested four (04) district engineers from the Kigezi Sub-region for allegedly causing financial loss to the government, abuse of office and corruption.
The suspects were picked up on 16th May 2023 by operatives from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and another group led by Fatimah Namukwaya, the Deputy Director of Anti-corruption Operations in the Internal Security Organization (ISO). The suspects also recorded statements at the Kabale Municipal Council Main Hall.
The suspects are the Rubanda District Engineer, Denis Twesigomwe, and the Rubanda District Water Officer, David Otika. Others are Spencer Ngabirano, the Town Engineer of Ryakarimira Town Council in Kabale District and Eric Sivaseya Mutumba, the Senior Kanungu District Engineer.
Mariam Natasha, the Communications Officer of the State House Anti-corruption Unit told COU Family TV that the Rubanda District Engineer, Denis Twesigomwe, is accused of irregularly clearing the payment to Ricky Construction Company.
The firm won the bid to construct a 50 million shilling structure at Mpungu Health Centre III in Hamurwa Town Council in the 2019/2020/2021 financial year, but the structure developed cracks before its handover. He was also accused of ignoring the same contractor's installation of a substandard solar system.
The Rubanda District Water Officer, David Otika reportedly failed to explain how the stalled 6.2 billion shilling Bushura Water Supply Project was implemented in Hamuhambo Town Council and Bubaare sub-county in the 2019/2020 financial year yet the district did not have the capacity to fund it. The project stalled after the district had already spent 677 million shillings on it.
On the other hand, Spencer Ngabirano, the Town Engineer of Ryakarimira Town Council in Kabale District, is accused of clearing 60 million shillings to roof condemned staff houses which were pending demolition.
The Senior Kanungu District Engineer, Eric Mutumba allegedly sanctioned works and also cleared the contractor who built Mpungu Health Center IV in Mungu Sub-county in Kanungu District yet the structure had cracks before handover.
Mutumba also reportedly sanctioned the payment of 55 million shillings to the contractor as excess money.
The Police Spokesperson for the Kigezi region, Elly Maate, confirmed that the suspects are being held at Kabale Central Police Station as investigations continue. He added that the suspects will be transferred to Kampala to appear before Anti-corruption Court.
Earlier, the State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Akello Beatrice Okori had visited the projects but decried the substandard work and ordered an investigation by the Economic Monitoring Unit of the State House. Twesigomwe claimed that he supervised the projects and saw anomalies, which the contractor promised to rectify.
The Rubanda District Water Officer, David Otika claimed that he advised the then-district council not to implement the water project but he was overruled.
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