The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kitagwenda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID is investigating Kitagwenda district officials on allegations of embezzling 200 million shillings meant for the maintenance of a one-kilometre road.
URN has seen a general inquiry file-GEF 684/2021, where unidentified officials are accused of embezzlement, causing financial loss and abuse of office by misappropriating funds that were meant for periodic maintenance of the tarmac road.
A copy of the letter to Kitagwenda leadership about the ongoing investigations shows the 200 million shillings was swindled in the second quarter of the 2020/2021 financial year. The road whose maintenance money has caused trouble for officials is located in Kitagwenda town council.
The letter is copied to Kitagwenda Chief Administrative Officer-CAO, Kitagwenda town clerk, Kitagwenda secretary for works, Kitagwenda district engineer and Kitagwenda district internal auditor.
“This office is investigating circumstances under which UGX 200M meant for periodic road maintenance for one-kilometre tarmac road in Kitagwenda town council in Kitagwenda district was allegedly embezzled by the district officials. The above fraud was detected during the 2nd quarter of the financial year 2020/2021,” reads the letter from CID’s head for central government investigations unit to Kitagwenda officials.
The CAO and other officials have been asked to avail information that would expedite the investigations. This information required includes accountability by Kitagwenda local government for all the funds they received in the last financial year.
Efforts to speak to CID spokesperson Charles Twine were futile as he was not available at the time of filing this story. But an investigator at CID says that three detectives had been assigned to trace for people who are suspected to have swindled the said money.
“We have received a report that some of these people have already learnt about this investigation and have attempted to erase the evidence. Some have since been transferred to other departments or into other districts. That is why we have a team assigned to trace the whereabouts of all the people we need for interrogation,” a detective said.
URN understands that Uganda Road Fund-URF was the first to detect the alleged fraud and tasked CID headquarters to investigate. URF director David Lubuuka petitioned CID on March 9, 2021, and his alert was copied to the secretary to the treasury, permanent secretary ministry of local government, permanent secretary to the ministry of works and transport and chairman of Uganda road fund committee.
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