IT COMES AS A SCANDAL IF STATE HOUSE CAN KEEP HUGE AMOUNTS OF CASH

It is impossible to get State House out of the picture of the ills Ugandans are experiencing. As of now, the country is suffering inflation that may be very hard to contain mainly because of the billions of shillings the Movement Government injected into circulation. Talk of people who are behind taking tax payers' money, many claim they had the clearance of State House. President Museveni should surely get us out of the decay which is a big shame for he country. What the Movement is showing us is not the way to Govern a country in civilized times. Looks like those connected with NRM will never stop the game of stealing public resources whenever there is opportunity. It is disgusting.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka

STATE HOUSE CASH THIEVES ELUDE CAPTURE
By TABU BUTAGIRA
Posted Friday, September 30 2011 at 00:00
Investigators have failed to trace the whereabouts of three presidential guards believed to have masterminded theft of substantial cash from State House nearly a fortnight ago. It emerged yesterday that the trio, unlike previously reported, spirited away Shs620 million out of Shs8 billion kept overnight at the cash office in Okello House, an annex to Nakasero State House.
An inside source we cannot name due to sensitivity of the matter, which the Special Forces Group (SFG) is inquiring into, told this newspaper yesterday, that “it is true the total amount at Okello House was Shs8b. Those soldiers, I think, were in a hurry and only took Shs620 million.”
The source added: “This is the figure confirmed after physical count of the cash balance. It appears some people wanted to take advantage of the initial theft to steal the remaining money by claiming the whole amount was taken.”
We could not independently verify this account and State House Comptroller, Ms Lucy Nakyobe, would not answer or return our telephone calls.
Two cashiers, both of them reportedly civilians, who were on duty the fateful weekend, have since been interdicted.
State House officials, however, would not explain why the duo have not appeared in court 13 days after their reported suspension if evidence exists to incriminate them in pilfering taxpayers’ cash.
Capt. Edson Kwesiga, spokesman for the elite presidential guard group, which is investigating the matter, yesterday said they had made “some progress” but would not divulge details.
“I will not give an official position until investigations are completed,” he said, without offering any timeline. “It is too early to tell who has been arrested and of what rank, or indeed how much money was recovered and in which bank it had been kept.”
The New Vision yesterday reported that one of the suspects, grabbed from under the bed of a relative in western Uganda, had more than Shs25 million stashed on different banks accounts, and he had been on a suspicious spending spree, including buying new motorcycles.
The yet-to-be explained September 16 theft, which Mr Tamale at the time attributed to ‘palace politics’, shocked the nation because the premises where it happened, was until 2007, the official residence of President Museveni.
And he occasionally still visits and holds meetings there, making the place one of the most guarded in the country.
In the aftermath of the heist, officials of the opposition Democratic Party put Mr Museveni on notice to watch his back since some hounds appear to have infiltrated his inner security detail, and could likely sell out. The elite brigade, commanded by First Son Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, through Spokesman Kwesiga, dismissed those fears about the President’s safety as misplaced, saying he was in safe hands.

tbutagira@ug.nationmedia