Simon Nume <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Auditor blocked from army accounts FRANK NYAKAIRU & CHARLES MWANGUHYA KAMPALA TWO teams from the Auditor Generals (AG) office were blocked from accessing accounts of the Uganda People's Defence Forces in the 3rd and 4th Divisions, according to a new report.
In his report for the financial year ending June 30, 2004, Auditor General John Muwanga complained that his teams were denied access to all the accounts of the UPDF 3rd Division, which is based in Mbale and Gulu-based 4th Division.
The AG queried a transfer of Shs280 million in salaries from a UPDF account in Nakasongola to Gulu.
"A sum of Shs268 million was deposited on the account from Nakasongola motorised Brigade Headquarters being salaries for their forces attached to 4th Division, the report says. The amounts were withdrawn for payment of the respective salaries but access to accountability was denied to the inspection team with the excuse that it had been submitted to Nakasongola. However, earlier inspection of Nakasongola complex had not traced the accountability."
The report warns: "The accounting officer was informed that it is now a crime punishable by a fine or imprisonment to deny access of records to the Auditor General and his staff."
In Mbale, the AG says the finance officer in charge of Arrow Group funds "was neither found at the Division headquarters nor at the tactical headquarters in Soroti." Under query in the division is over Shs4 billion.
Muwanga says that although advance information notification had been given by the office of the assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS-UPDF) about the inspection team's visit, the officer was not available and accounts for Shs4.5 billion released to the group for the entire financial year could not be traced.
The AG's report also queries an extra Shs45.4 million that was "undocumented" and adds that the "undocumented cash could not be explained either."
The UPDF's 4th Division is at the centre of the ghost soldier scandal for which the former Director General of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Brig. Henry Tumukunde, and several others are facing trial at the Military Court Martial. Tumukunde was 4th Division Commander in 2001 and was withdrawn in early 2002, two years before the current queries were raised.
Further queries out of the two divisions cover some Shs217.5 million in "unrecorded transactions/cash withdrawals unaccounted for," the AG notes.
"It was however noted that Shs70 million and Shs162, 329, 000 was drawn implying that Shs14, 780, 837 remained unpaid.
The Division Finance Officer could not account for this balance nor was it traced during the cash survey."
The Auditor General's report is currently before Parliament where it is yet to be debated.
The Defence and Army Spokesman, Lt. Col. Shaban Bantariza, yesterday said that the Auditor General could not be denied access to UPDF accounts. He said the AG does not deal directly with army units like divisions but through the Permanent Secretary of Defence.
"I do not think the 4th Division Commander can deal with the Auditor General directly," he said.
Anybody who wants to access those accounts goes to the Permanent Secretary because he is the accounting officer," Bantariza said.
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