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Uganda: PS grilled over Muhwezi on GAVI Fund - Thursday, October 11, 2007 |
New Vision, Kampala, Felix Osike, Wednesday, 10th October, 2007 - THE Permanent Secretary in the health ministry, Mary Nanono, is in trouble for failing to recover sh478m immunisation funds from former minister Jim Muhwezi.
The IGG, Justice Faith Mwondha, yesterday summoned the PS to explain why she had not implemented the recommendations of a report into the mismanagement of funds received from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, or GAVI.
She was also questioned why she distorted the IGG recommendations and proceeded to seek legal advice from the Solicitor General, Lucien Tibaruha, who has been interdicted.
“Your foregoing acts were contemptuous of the constitutional mandate of the Inspectorate of Government and further amounted to indiscipline, disobedience and insubordination,” the IGG said in a letter to the PS.
After interrogation, Nanono agreed to write to Muhwezi the same day, demanding the refund of the lost money.
The PS has also been directed to write to the other individuals named in the report, urging them to refund the sums within the stipulated period “failure of which appropriate action would be taken without any further notice”.
Muhwezi risks losing his parliamentary seat if he does not refund the money.
The IGG emphasised that the refund was in respect of the breach of the Leadership Code Act, which has nothing to do with the criminal case filed against Muhwezi in the court.
According to documents, Muhwezi and former state minister for Primary Health Care, Dr. Alex Kamugisha, have not refunded the money despite several reminders. Kamugisha was supposed to pay back sh22m.
About sh100m of the GAVI Fund has been recovered. Those who have refunded the amounts due to them are East African Assembly member Nusura Tiperu (sh33m), ministry of health educator Peter Kafuko (sh21.3m) and former under-secretary in the ministry of health Albert Mugumya (sh6.3m).
Health ministry employees who have asked to pay in installments are Daniel Kalule, Hadijja Wegosasa and Robert Ssemogerere. Kalule has so far paid sh5m (out of sh25.3m), Ssemogerere sh10m (out of sh13.4m), while Wegosasa has paid sh4m (out of sh71m).
Other ministry officials who have requested to refund over a period of time without specifying how installments would be made are Simon Kagumire, who needs to pay back sh34.6m, and Sam Barasa, who is supposed to refund sh27m.
The IGG warned that she would invoke Article 83 of the Constitution, which says a Member of Parliament shall vacate his or her seat if found guilty of violation of the Leadership Code Act. Such a person is not allowed to hold any other public office for five years.
According to the IGG findings, Muhwezi failed to declare the $4.3m GAVI funds to the IGG, as required by the Leadership Code Act. He also reportedly failed to disclose the receipt of the GAVI funds to the finance minister as required by law. Still according to the IGG probe, sh1.6b of the GAVI Fund could not be accounted for.
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