Audit report pins Bushenyi-Ishaka municipal treasurer for theft of public funds

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A special audit report has pinned the principal treasurer of Ishaka-municipal council Jackson Muhwezi for illegally withdrawing 112 million Shillings from the general funds account of the district. The funds were withdrawn in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 financial years.

The audit conducted by the acting principal internal auditor of Bushenyi district local government Samuel Kumwesiga follows a request by the Criminal investigations department to the Chief Administrative Officer Malik Mahaba to investigate cases of alleged abuse of office and embezzlement of funds by Muhwezi who is currently on interdiction.

According to the report, 7.4 million Shillings was withdrawn from the Women Empowerment Program and youth livelihood program accounts on different dates in 2019 without authorization. The report also notes that 104 million Shillings was transferred from the general account to the imprest account and later withdrawn for unknown reasons.

“This implies that Jackson Muhwezi could have forged the signatures of the voting controller and the accounting officer to access the funds,” the report reads. It adds that Muhwezi should be tasked to explain where he obtained the authorizations of withdrawing the money and the purpose of the funds.

Apollo Kakonge Lee, the Executive Director of Western Ankole Civil Society Forum – WACSOF said it is very worrying and distressing for a government official to forge a signature of the accounting officer to steal money from the bank.

Mahaba, says that the report will be forwarded to police.

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