By; Francis Lubega
The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has grilled Bank of Uganda officials over the reported extravagant expenditures during their Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Appearing before the committee today, BOU officials led by the Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebire presented a sample of the costly pens that threw the central bank in a scandal recently.
The sample pen cost the country Ugx357,000 during the BOU’s golden jubilee celebration last year and 350 pens were purchased worth Shs125m.
In an earlier meeting with central bank officials led by the Deputy Governor, Dr Louis Kasekende, COSASE chairman, Abdu Katuntu, made reference to media reports indicating that the bank flouted procurement laws when it spent Shs125 million to buy 350 pens in the 2016/2017 financial year.
The pens were supplied by Aristoc Booklex Limited and distinguished to guests during the Golden Jubilee Joseph Mubiru Memorial Lecture on August 2 and subsequent activities on August 3, 2016.
However, the committee chaired by Bugweri county Member of Parliament (MP) Abdu Katuntu was suspicious of the availed pens that seemed to have been designed in the US but manufactured from china, forcing them to consider an Auditor general’s scrutiny.
The committee also queried the accountability of 700 million shillings used by bank of Uganda during the school challenge competitions, 100 million shillings paid for cocktail and 144 million shillings paid for accommodation for the guests who attended the 50 years celebrations directing the officials to provide 154 internal audit reports and 17 tender contracts since 2014 to 2016 for study.
Next:
Previous:
