By Our Reporters
Very shocking details indicating ways through which Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC) bosses have been chewing government money have emerged and we produce them hereunder as part of our follow up story. Now safely in the possession of the President, who obtained everything through an undercover operative attached to ESO, the documents implicate a number of officials who Afande Edith Nakalema will soon be grilling and subsequently arresting for acting imprudently regarding public funds entrusted to them. One of the documents shows that Law Revision Commissioner Esther Majambere was irregularly appointed to a very important head of department position to enable her supervisors fraudulently access money. That ULRC CEO Lucas Omara Abong deceptively told the AG William Byaruhanga that there was an internal advert as a result of which Majambere was recruited whereas not. That other eligible employees were deliberately sidelined for Majambere to get the job. That subsequently a work place syndicate metamorphosed involving Lucas Omara, Undersecretary David Obol and JLOS project head Frances Katooko. That on 14th June 2018, Katooko raised a requisition resulting into Shs407m being released in his favor to ostensibly organize a workshop for 90 people which was to take place at Esella Country Hotel. In the end, only 15 people attended the workshop resulting into Shs200m being saved and shared by a team of ULRC officials. Nakalema is investigating the circumstances under which trio of Majambere, Senior Accountant George Atwijukire and Lucas Abong cleared the Shs407m voucher for Katooko without ever feeling obliged to ask the hard questions after it was brought to their attention that only 15 people attended the disputed workshop under the JLOS project.
THE TUHAISE SAGA
There is another Shs12m which a one Winfred Tuhaise is being required to account for after the internal auditor rejected her October 2018 accountability as unsatisfactory. On another occasion, a project manager at ULRC curiously presented invoices from a service provider indicating his department organized an 8 days project workshop/meeting but Lucas Omara permitted him to receive facilitation for 10 days meaning money for two days was for the officer to eat. The Nakalema detectives have since obtained CCTV footage from Esella Country and Garuga Hotels along Entebbe Road to verify the actual number of people at the workshops and the actual number of days. A source at JLOS also told us separately that they are concerned about Shs175m they released to ULRC between May and June 2018 but management only communicated Shs134m creating room for the balance to be pocketed. The cash was meant for regional stakeholder consultative meetings about the ULRC law reform mandate. There is concern that even on the Shs134m that was declared, only one activity was organized and that was the consultative meeting with the NGO Board members on 27th November 2018 at Imperial Royale. In his October 2018 report, the ULRC internal auditor refers to another Shs213m that was released and received by management under the JLOS project yet only Shs10m was actually spent and used on the intended activities. The investigators’ plan now is to descend on ULRC accounts assistants and hold them personally accountable until they disclose all the information they know pinning their superiors many of whom have since been interdicted as reported in our previous ULRC story.
EDITING @ 540M
Another area where cash was siphoned related to the proof reading and editing of law reports yet in actual sense ULRC hasn’t produced any such reports in the last 19 years (since 2000). In the FY2017/18 alone, Shs540m was expended on this activity yet there isn’t any output to show for it. For many years, JLOS funded revision of Principal Laws and when ULRC management let them down by failing to revise any such laws, focus shifted to revision of subsidiary laws but even on this one, the ULRC management let donors down. The ULRC Project Senior Accountant will have some explaining to do over this one. Commissioners and the CEO too will have to explain how it was possible to carry out any such work without any editorial board being constituted. The other cause of concern to the donors is how the CEO departed from his October 2016 letter making it abominable for ULRC staff to get paid dubious sitting allowances for meetings relating to their core work. Another shocking incidence occurred in the FY2017/18 when JLOS released Shs38m for “reviewing the criminal procedure code Act” yet staff implementing the assignment were only facilitated with Shs20m and their superiors pocketed the Shs18m balance. In his 29/10/2018 report, the internal auditor queried this anomaly. In the first quarter of the FY2018/19, another Shs47m was recorded to have been expended on a public awareness meeting about law reform which meeting actually never took place.
DAVID OBOL TROUBLE
The Undersecretary has to answer for the monies that were chewed by ULRC employees in the name of ghost field activities he approved and facilitated them for. One such activity related to a study that was to be undertaken about Non Tax Revenue (NTR) practices and the distribution of Marriage & Divorce law proposals. He also approved money for “distribution activities” in Bundibugyo and Fort Portal where Moses Malinga, Angella Samanya and Moses Apopel had to do the work and write reports on return which never happened. The internal auditor had previously raised a red flag on these field activities. As head of Finance & Administration, Obol too has to answer about the recruitment of a one Alex Ojera who is related to him and was irregularly recruited by his right hand man Moses Apopel. There are also queries regarding the depositing of government money onto the accounts of ULRC employees like Leonard Baguma, Winnie Tuhaise, Sam Lwanga and others. The money is then withdrawn and expended on activities that have nothing to do with the Commission. And as we shall show later, these are colossal sums of money. Contrary to government policy, Mr. Obol had prior to his interdiction been in a habit of authorizing payment of prohibited sitting allowances to Commission employees. This contradicts the 2016 guidelines PSST Keith Muhakanizi communicated to all accounting officers. The Undersecretary will also have to answer for why the Commission inventory wasn’t immediately put in place yet funds for it had years earlier been released. This is a matter the auditors have been raising especially after the ULRC property (valuable books, furniture & the red volumes) started going missing.
OAG DOUBTED
There are widespread concerns at the finance ministry why external auditors (led by Dr. Chris Makanga of the OAG) haven’t been able to detect all these anomalies at ULRC which they annually audit. This is why the President wants heads to roll even at John Muwanga’s OAG. Obol is also faulted for not taking any action regarding the Shs18.6m that was shared on 19/6/2015; Shs10.6m shared on 16/8/2018; Shs21.8m on 22/10/2018; Shs7.7m on 7/10/2016; Shs18.89m on 1/11/2017 and Shs18.6m on 19/6/2017. The other area regards Obol’s failure to prevent a top ULRC official from using a pseudo-name to purchase a vehicle during the annual disposal of ULRC properties yet he knew about the entire fraud. There are also queries relating to false vote reporting to annually dupe both Parliament and the OPM. There are also many projects that have been reported to Parliament as completed and concluded whereas not because the money was misappropriated. Obol has also been accused by guys in the ULRC PDU claiming he forced them to spend on a very expensive vehicle for his official use contrary to the PPDA guidelines. Under the restricted bidding method, PDU considered it appropriate to buy for him a KIA car but he refused it and forced them to buy for him a more expensive Fortuner. Those PDU officers who had the balls to say no were sidelined and a one Sunday Agenonga appointed in their place. PPDA queried the discrepancy and demanded action which the interdicted accounting officer Lucas Abong declined. Obol will also have to answer why he didn’t protest the appointment of undeserving officers at the expense of more suitable ones who had both qualification and integrity resulting into skyrocketing scandals at ULRC which prompted the President to recently fire the entire management. The resultant vacuum is what the equally troubled Ag CEO Bernadette Nalule is occupying. Obol also failed to assert himself and properly advise Head HR Barbra Irakiza when it came to recruiting external people for positions people inside would have done better. The duo sidelined the internal personnel and prioritized external recruitment just because of intrigue against internal employees they perceived as uncooperative. Their hostilities towards employees with high levels of integrity resulted into curious promotion of the likes of Jeroline Akubu, Frances Katooko, Esther Majambere and Leonard Baguma some of whose activities at the Commission have since become subject of investigation by IGG, Nakalema and the OAG team led by Dr. Chris Makanga, Victoria Achom and Dorcas Ajwang. However, some are objecting to the trio leading the special audit by the OAG arguing they have previously been perceived to be part of the problem at ULRC because as external auditors they have always been reluctant to comprehensively expose the rot at ULRC. It’s also intriguing that many recruitment exercises are purported to have taken place yet on record there is no minute of the interviews or shortlists and adverts on which such recruitment ought to have been based. Preliminary findings show that for the last 5 years recruitment decisions have been made casually without following proper procedures.
SEX SCANDALS
Some of the influential staff in the Undersecretary’s office have been implicated in incidences of sexually harassing fellow employees and Obol stands accused for not reprimanding those harassing fellow workers. Obol is also faulted for tolerating expulsion of a one Annet Koote simply because she was outspoken against workmates involved in corrupt dealings. The Undersecretary Obol is also in trouble for permitting a one Brenda Kemigisha to operate a restaurant business in the ULRC premises for the last 3 years without meeting any rent or utility obligations. He has also been hostile to and mistreating ULRC core employees in favor of his fellow administrators and other non-core employees who monopolize Commission project vehicles leaving core project staff crippled with no transport means to reach the field. He has also failed to prevent the Senior Accountant from accessing hefty imprest and allowances.
OTHER BAD CASES
There is Assistant Commissioner Jeroline Akubu whose conduct is already being investigated by the IGG. On learning of the IGG inquiry, staff under her supervision resorted to taking marathon field trips to Busia, West Nile and Western Uganda to create retrospective accountability to defeat the purpose of the IGG investigations. Some have since tendered falsified backdated receipts to the IGG. Internal audit reports have since accused Akubu of authorizing payment of Shs5.5m to a one Philip Odoki for a field trip in Eastern region where he actually spent Shs1.3m creating a saving of over Shs4m. This was protested by the head of the project since Odoki wasn’t even a project staff. There is also a one Kenneth Rutaremwa whose exaggerated facilitation Akubu inappropriately authorized. There is another Shs15.2m that was curiously advanced to the same Kenneth on 18/4/2018. On the same day, Shs8.9m was advanced to Odoki. As if it was a cash bonanza, the two lucky gentlemen were further given Shs14.7m (for Phillip on 20/3/2018) and Shs13.4m for Kenneth on 26/3/2018. Earlier on 22/6/2016, Odoki was advanced with Shs22m and Kenneth got Shs20.6m on the same day! Later on 18/1/2018, Kenneth received Shs13.6m and Odoki Shs13.3m on 20/12/2017. Akubu is also accused for (on 23/7/2018) deliberately miscommunicating there was a Shs40m balance on the project account yet in actual sense Shs67m was remaining. A JLOS June 2018 letter indicates that Shs175m was released to ULRC for stakeholder consultative meetings but Akubu aided her superiors to declare the figure was Shs134m. She was then the Ag HoD and this under declaration is something the internal auditor raised a red flag about in his 29/10/2018 letter. In March 2018, Akubu received money for an informal justice benchmarking trip in Nairobi where she never travelled and instead stayed in Kampala to attend a related EAC meeting. She travelled later on after her colleagues returned and secured a boarding pass to ratify her accountability. She was also recruited as Commissioner Law Reform without any advert amid protestations by ULRC board members. She had previously got promoted to Senior Legal Officer without serving the mandatory 3 year period. Others in trouble are Winfred Tuhaise, Samuel Lwanga and Baguma Leonard for each receiving Shs8m ostensibly for the working group meetings on Statutory Instrument.
GEORGE ATWIJUKIRE
He was recruited as Senior Accountant without a job advert, shortlist and being interviewed. The whistle blower says he wasn’t even qualifying at that time because he wasn’t yet possessed with the CPA qualification. He must explain for Shs15.9m received on 19th June 2015; Shs11.2m on 5/2/2018; 9.4m on 22/11/2017; 19.6m on 22/5/2018; 12.2m on 30/8/2018; 8.2m on 22/10/2018; 7.4m on 24/10/2018; 14.2m on 22/6/2016; 9.2m on 7/10/2016; 18.3m on 25/10/2016; 15.9m on 19/6/2015; 15.6m on 24/6/2015; 8m on 11/4/2018; 9.6m on 9/5/2018; 9.2m on 23/11/2017; 18m on 15/2/2018; 10.5m on 16/8/2017 and 11.7m on 25/9/2017. He is also being targeted to answer for the 17.2m that was paid to James Musasizi on 12/8/2016 ostensibly to align the ULRC strategic plan to the NDP II and another Shs9.8m to Barbra Turyasingura for the same activity. The auditors have since queried this too. His money-related relationship with Jeroline Akubu, David Obol, Lucas Omara Abong and PAS Moses Apopel is also being inquired into. In their risk assessment report of 29/10/2018, the auditors reported that Commission property worth Shs650m went missing as a result of Atwijukire’s failure to finance the making of the inventory. The same officers must also answer why GoU cash could be posted on personal bank accounts of Baguma, Tuhaise and Lwanga. The whistle blowers also want the President to scrutinize Atwijukire’s O, A’level and Diploma certificates.
AUDITOR MAYANJA
There is also Internal Auditor Issa Mayanja who has to explain why Shs10.6m on 1/11/2017; Shs20.7m on 22/11/2017 and Shs12.8m on 30/5/2018 passed on his personal account at the expense of his employer ULRC. Along with James Musaazi, Mayanja is also said to be the contact through whom curious friendship was created between the untouchables at ULRC and external auditors from the OAG. In his November 2018 letter to the President (as reported by Daily Monitor), the whistle blower accused Principal Assistant Secretary Moses Apopel for curious accountability and conflict of interest regarding the interview process for his brother Innocent Ichumar who eventually got the job at ULRC. There are also transactions of November 2017; August 2018 and October 2016 which Apopel has to explain himself about.
THE ESAMI MBA
He also enrolled for MBA at ESAMI using ULRC money without BoD approval. It was resolved he refunds over Shs40m to the Commission which he hasn’t done. He knew something about how Brenda Kemigisha came to use ULRC premises to run a private canteen business before controversially becoming a ULRC employee in the capacity of office attendant. His brother Ichumar Innocent is a transport officer and wastefully controls over 9 ULRC vehicles yet core staff can’t even travel. Apopel also faces IGG sanctions over the mistreatment of perceived whistle blowers and staff suspected to have reported to the President. His juniors have been implicated in sexual harassment without any action being taken. Others in trouble include Principal Legal Officer Francis Katooko. Following up on whistle blower information available to the President, intelligence services are keen to know how Katooko got the job of PLO ahead of more suitable Teesa Kawooya and relevant interview minutes are to be reviewed. Barbra Irakiza too has reason to be sleepless because her O, A’level and Diploma certificates are being considered for verification. Besides being recruited without advert, the whistle blower wants inquiry into why Shs12m on 19/6/2015; 27m on 11/5/2018; 18m on 22/4/2016; 15m on 5/2/2018 and Shs10m on 10/8/2018 was posted on Irakiza’s personal account. She must also answer for the disputed recruitment of Majambere, Ichumar, Brenda Kemigisha and Alex Ojera into ULRC. Bernadette Nalule the Ag CEO isn’t spared and is accused of causing financial loss in her capacity as head of Law Reform Department.
INTERSOFT DEALS
As Procurement Officer, Sunday Agenoga is accused for failing to block the world’s most expensive printing contract which ULRC awarded to Intersoft Business Services whose MD David Katende (former ULRC employee) and Moses Sekamatte are to earn Shs717,738 per page printed. Nakalema will be investigating claims that Intersoft only sub contracts jobs to a Malaysian firm. Richard Kamure is the office superintendent whose incompetence has seen ULRC property stolen often. Some blue and red volumes too have been stolen often from ULRC offices and man with monopoly to access Commission keys has never been made to explain. Even furniture WB donated is missing. Leonard Baguma, as seen in the BoU documents, has on average been receiving Shs50m per month curiously wired on his private account from the ULRC coffers. OAG’s Senior Principal Auditor Dr. Chris Makanga confirms that ULRC is indeed under multiple inquiries by a range of GoU agencies. Also in our possession is ULRC’s Statement of Account document (from our treasury sources) whose contents will be summarized in our subsequent coverage of the ULRC scandal. For comments, email us on mulengera2040@gmail.com
