The Procurement Authority has written to police probing alleged corruption in the Uganda Export Promotions Board (UEPB), to ensure that proper procedures were adhered to in the procurement of certain contentious items by the entity.
The Executive Director of Uganda Export Promotion Board, Florence Kata
In a letter to the criminal intelligence and investigations directorate boss dated February 26, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) noted that it was important for the investigators to ascertain that procurement procedures had been adhered to.
The letter follows an earlier request by the police seeking guidance on a number of issues under probe, among them the procurement of a mural for an exhibition at sh12.7m; procuring services for content development and translation services at sh6.4m and the hiring of cultural performers to entertain guests at sh3.1m.
In the response signed by Cornelia Sabiti, the Executive Director PPDA directed the police to among others task that procurement unit of the board on the matter.
“The procurement and disposal unit is required to confirm that the items are provide fro in the entity’s procurement plan and are budgeted for in the approved budget for the financial years in accordance with the PPDA Regulation 105,” the letter signed by Sabiti reads.
The letter also noted that the authority was required to initiate procurements using PP form 20 in keeping with PPDA regulations, which were contravened. The board used competitive bidding in relation to murals deal and direct bidding for the services of a Chinese translator, which police say, basing on the guidelines stipulated by PPDA was wrong.
CIID boss Grace Akullo could not be reached for comment as she was reported away attending a national function. However, police sources yesterday said detectives probing the alleged scam had established after questioning members of the disposal unit that procedures had been seriously flouted.
According to investigation the mural was procured at sh12,746,400 for the Chinese Expo 2010, to depict the theme: a better city a better life while the content development and translation services were procured at sh6,422,650 and the cultural performers to entertain a Chinese delegation that visited Uganda at sh3,119,500.
The police last year launched a probe into the export promotions board over allegations involving several top officials, including the executive director, Florence Kata estimated at over sh50m, part of a wider probe into money spent on various trade fairs abroad.
The money was spent in the financial years 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 and allegedly misused. The alleged flouting of procedures, sources said, adversely affects three top officials of the board-Kata, who also doubled as the accounting officer; the director finance Fred Kibedi and the procurement officer, Anne Karungi.
In the period under probe, the board participated in three expos-the Shanghai Expo in China, the International Trade Fair and exhibition in South Sudan and the Yeosu Trade Fair in South Korea.
Kata is also being probed over allegations that she irregularly appointed William Babigumira as her deputy without the consent of the board which investigators say amounts to abuse of office.
“They have sought the interpretation of the director of public prosecution (DPP) over the matter. Kata and Babigumira have since appeared before the police in connection with the allegations.
The police are also probing allegations that Kata’s son, Lionel Barigye was among the people the board funded for a trade fair in Germany, culminating in his company receiving a refund of sh 2m as a 50% refund of fund used in travel and accommodation.
Barigye’s company, Cyber Agricultural Produce (CAP) International Limited, received about sh2m as a 50% refund of funds used for travel and accommodation to attend the Fruit Logistica fair from February 8 to 10, 2012 in Germany.
By Steven Candia, The New Vision
