CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE AUDITOR GENERALS REPORT ON FRAUD IN THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER Highlights: Ghost gardens

ploughed for women in Amuru, Kitgum and Karamoja worth shs 8,583,000,000/= ( eight billion five hundred eighty three million shillings) A total of shs. 3,419, 000,000/= ( three billion, four hundred nineteen million shillings) paid to FEIL for ploughing 38,000 hectares of land for women in Kitgum and Amuru Districts. There are no such large number of hectares of ploughed land in Kitgum and Amuru. A total of shs 5,164,000,000/= (five billion, one hundred sixty four million shillings) paid to FEIL for ploughing 64,000 hectares of land for women in Karamoja. There are no such large number of hectares of ploughed land in Karamoja. A total of shs 1,011,000,000/= ( one billion and eleven million shillings) paid to FEIL for supply of planting materials to Karamoja. This is highly doubtful given that FEIL does not deal in seeds. Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana sent away two senior procurement officers replacing them with two nieces of his ( daughters of his sister). One of them is called Lilian. Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimanas recruited his brother-in-law by the names of Max to head a major GiZ project for Northern Uganda as manager. Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana recruited three nephews of his as consultants under the Monitoring and Evaluation Department. Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimanas sisters and other relatives own unregistered companies supplying relief food to OPM

Although there are frantic attempts to cover the truth of fraud in the Office of the Prime Minister by quickly suspending a number of worthless very junior support staff namely, (1) Kennedy Lubega a mere Office Messenger who was disguised as a research officer, (2) Dennis Oyuki a mere driver, (3) Oonyu Isaiah a mere paying cashier, (4) L Nalwanga a mere Accounts Assistant, etc; the truth is, the two top bosses who participated in the planning and execution of the looting of the donor funds to PRDP are still well protected with excuses such as being the whistle-blower, etc. How does a manager who is expected to ensure controls, checks and balances are in place end up sending away procurement officers and recruiting his own relatives in the procurement department? An Internal Auditor called Shaban who tried to put internal controls in place was sent away by Pius Bigirimana! After eliminating all the internal controls and having 1

successfully conspired in causing the losses which later turned sour, the PS picked a whistle to hoodwink the public that he is a whistle-blower within his own institution? Where was he when the damage was taking place? Why didnt he blow the whistle in the first instance, why wait for five months later and only after an irreconcilable conflict had erupted between himself and his Principal Accountant? The OPM Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimanas cover can be unveiled through a critical analysis of payments he made to Farm Engineering Industries Ltd (FEIL) totaling to shs 13,716,991,976/= (thirteen billion, seven hundred sixteen million, nine hundred ninety one thousand nine hundred seventy six shillings). Remember the PSs two nieces are based in the Procurement Unit to process FEILs payments. These are payments PS accepts having been made by himself and therefore do not include the ones where allegation of forged signatures are raised. FEIL is a company closely associated with the Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana and his close associate Ms Flavia Waduwa the Under Secretary in charge of Northern Uganda and Karamoja who acts as Permanent Secretary whenever Bigirimana is out of the country. The Auditor General began by querying the way FEIL was procured and the open-ended contract given to it. The Auditor Generals report (see annexes, pages 63, 64 and 65) raises concerns that FEIL allegedly ploughed for women in Kitgum District and Pabbo Sub county of Amuru District gardens at a total cost of shs 3,419, 000,000/= ( three billion, four hundred nineteen million shillings). This sum of money translates into 38,000 hectares of ploughed land!!! The question is, in which villages of Amuru District are these ploughed land for which payment was made by the PS Pius Bigirimana and Undersecretary Flavia Waduwa? What are the names of the women beneficiaries? The Auditor Generals report (see annexes, pages 63, 64 and 65) also raises concerns that FEIL allegedly ploughed in Karamoja gardens at a total cost of shs 5,164,000,000/= (five billion, one hundred sixty four million shillings). This sum of money translates into 64,000 hectares of land ploughed!!! The question is, in which villages of karamoja are these ploughed land??? The PS made payments to FEIL knowing there is much less done. The same company received a total of shs 1,011,000,000/= (one billion and eleven million shillings) ( see annex page 63) for supply of planting materials to Karamoja. This is highly doubtful given that FEIL has never been known to deal in seeds and seeds supplied to Karamoja have always come from Victoria Seeds and Uganda Seeds. It is alleged the signature of the PS Mr Pius Bigirimanas was forged in over 120 transactions and the signature of Ms Flavia Waduwa was forged in over 20 transactions especially in payment of the weekly imprest of shs 96,371,916/=. The question is; if all weekly imprest paid were through forged signatures and over a long period of time, then how was the PS operating the large Ministry without any imprest over that long period?? True, there could be some forgery of signatures, however, should one, two or five cases of forgery be an excuse to generalize and conclude that all the 212 un-explained payments are as a result of forged signatures of the Permanent Secretary and Under Secretary for Northern Uganda and Karamoja Ms Flavia Waduwa. There is need to verify each transaction allegedly forged. This verification should involve an independent

international handwriting expert because we doubt the independence of the Government hand writing expert. Finally, why is the PS very protective of some officers such as Raphael Lubega who was advanced upto shs. 4,038,186,423/= (four billion, thirty eight million, one hundred eighty six thousand four hundred twenty three shillings) ( see AGs report annex page 18). Henry Walusimbi who is not employed in OPM and does not possess any qualifications in building received an advance of shs 471,523,085/= (see AGs report annex page 18) and many other payments. It is possible these officers were mere conduits for siphoning the funds fraudulently transferred from BOU. Since PS claims to be a whistle blower, we have also come up as whistle blowers on his deeds. Signed Shaban K (On behalf of the concerned OPM Staff members who opted to keep their identity for fear of reprisals)