THERE IS NEED FOR PRAYERS THAT THE POLICE INVESTIGATIONS OVER FRAUD WILL BE FRUITFUL

Police investigating over 100 govt projects over fraud claims By Andrew Bagala Posted Monday, July 23 2012 at 01:00 In Summary Detectives are investigating suspected corruption and fraud which dates as back as 2007 in ministries of local government, works and health among others. KAMPALA The Police have started receiving official documents from several government departments and agencies in over 100 projects in which they suspect fraud and corruption. Detectives are investigating suspected corruption and fraud which dates as back as 2007 in ministries of local government, works and health among others. Preliminary reports show unacceptable mismanagement of funds. Police say that officials from different ministries and government agencies will start this week to report to the Criminal Investigation Directorate to help them with investigations. Deputy Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba, said some of the cases being investigated arise from the Auditor General’s reports while others are backlog cases. “There have been so many allegations of fraud in government systems that have been forwarded to us so we want to clear these cases by the end of this year,” Ms Nabakooba said yesterday. In the Ministry of Health, police investigating mismanagement of funds to the tune of Shs30 billion in over nine projects including Malaria Control Programme, Aids Control Programme, National Health Internship Scheme, and Health Insurance Programme. Detectives say some officials managing health programmes have handed over wanted documents except those handling programmes such as health insurance, child health care, Tuberculosis and Leprosy. “We have written to them but they have declined to give us the documents. They are just buying time,” a senior detective told Daily Monitor in an interview yesterday. Share This Story The CID has also discovered anomalies in the discharge of funds in the Ministry of Local Government where officials pick funds from different votes on pretext that it will be used on other argent project. “The officials don’t have documentation to show the projects they spent the fund on,” another source said. Police want to know where the Shs507 million which was sent to the Local Government to the relocation of vendors in seven urban centres was distributed. Another Shs260 millions funds directed to construction of markets in Kitintale, Kalerwe and Nakulabye in Kampala District were allegedly spent on different activities not specified in the ministry reports. Local Government ministry claim to have paid Shs119m in taxes to Uganda Revenue Authority but receipts to that effect are still missing which detectives are still investigating. Police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi, earlier said six detectives were sent at the directorate to investigate suspected fraud in their system. The 2011 Annual Crime Report showed that police investigated 150 cases in the public sector. Most of the fraud was noted in the procurement or implementation processes of government programmes or projects. abagala@ug.nationmedia.com