47, PUBLIC OFFICERS MUST REFUND THE UGX 6 BILLION OIL MONEY.

By News room

Parliament’s committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has recommended that all beneficiaries of the oil tax cash from the president refund the money.

The notable beneficiaries of the six billion shillings, dubbed a presidential handshake, include Doris Akol, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Executive Director, Allen Kagina and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director, Jennifer Musisi among others.

The list also has former Attorney General Fred Ruhindi, State Attorney George Kalemera, Solicitor General Francis Atooke and the Secretary to Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi. These are part of the 42 public officers who received the money for their role in the 400-million-dollar Heritage Oil arbitration case which Uganda won.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga in January directed the committee chaired by Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu to investigate the oil cash bonanza and report back to parliament in two months. The reporting time was later extended until today when the final report has been handed in June 21^st 2017.

It’s observed that the payment of six billion Shillings was contrary to the standard practices of rewarding public officers as provided for in the Public Service Standing Orders.

According to Paragraph 19 of the Public Service Standing Orders, teams and institutions may be rewarded but paragraph 20 restricts the scheme to non-monetary awards.

The committee also observes that it is clear from Akol’s letter dated 26th June 2015 that the President instructed her to propose an “adequate reward” following a request by the team to the president.

The committee further indicates that evidence obtained from URA shows that the “handshake” was not provided for under the Authority’s Human Resource Manual.

COSASE now recommends that the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Irene Mulyagonja institutes investigations with a view to holding all officers who flouted the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders and other laws culpable and establish the possible offences.