MASINDI DISTRICT STAFF ORDERED TO REFUND OVER 10M/=

By Yosam Gucwaki

Masindi district council has ordered its staff to refund the government money they obtained and failed to account for it.

The Order follows public accounts committee recommendation to the district council which arose from the audit queries in the 2016/2017 financial year.

The district staff include the district information officer; Gladys Baligonzaki who has been ordered to refund 2.3 million shillings, the district commercial officer; Christine Kengonzi who has been ordered to refund 1.5 million shillings, the former district production officer Blasto Byabakama who has been ordered to refund 3.4 million shillings and Vincent Businge, the district senior community development officer who has been ordered to refund 500,000 shillings.

The district council has also ordered two contractors: Kona co. Ltd to refund 18.9 million shillings and K.K publisher 4.3 million shillings.

The implicated staff and contractors are accused of taking the money for contracts under government projects that they never implemented.

This was yesterday revealed by the secretary for finance and administration Kanaginagi Ateenyi during the district council meeting held at the district chambers.

Kanaginagi revealed that the implicated staff will refund the money through deduction on their salaries starting from September this year while Byabakama’s money will be deducted from his pension since he retired.

He added that Public accounts committee ruled that the money be refunded after it discovered that they had not used the money for the intended reason

The district councilor for Masindi central division Badru Mugabi welcomed the recommendation saying people who miss manage public funds should refund it as one way of curbing the vice.

Christopher Okumu, the district chief administrative officer promised to enforce the resolution, saying it is criminal to pay a service provider before the contract is executed. Efforts to get a comment from the accused were futile since none of them attended the council meeting.

Source:www.mknewslink.com

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