An office attendant attached to the Judiciary's accounts division told MPs how her supervisors sent her to withdraw over Shs 900m in cash for questionable activities in financial year 2017/18.
Juliet Kusiima who testified before parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday said that she was, on several occasions sent by her bosses to pick huge amounts of money in cash from the Judiciary cashier.
Kusiima's name appears on the list of missing expenditure totalling up to Shs 1.754 billion being queried by PAC. According to PAC lead counsel Michael Tusiime representing Mbarara Municipality, Kusiima according to the list signed for close to a billion shillings - an amount that is way much outside her entitlement.
Tusiime says that Kusiima, for example, acknowledged receipt of Shs 29 million on 23rd January 2018, another Shs 40 million on the same day. Kusiima again signed for another Shs 34 million on 1st February 2018, on 5th February she received Shs 51 million, Shs 30 million on 7th February 2018 among other transactions. Kusiima said she saw nothing wrong with the withdrawals since her bosses who sent her never complained of not receiving the money nor did the cashiers who dispensed the cash.
"To me as a lay person…to me, someone requisitions for the money from the accounting officer when they are supposed to carry out a certain activity. At the end, that money is paid, it is picked by an office attendant, the person who is supposed to receive the money doesn't complain either to the principal accountant or even to the permanent secretary," Kusiima submitted.
Asked the purpose of the money she received, Kusiima told PAC that she used to sign for the money on behalf of his supervisors she identified as Michael Okwalinga, the senior accounts assistant, accounts officer Julius Obai and accountant Julius Mandu.
She revealed that the money was being picked from a cashier identified as Thomas Oke, from where she could append her signature before delivering it to the three.
Questioned by Tusiime whether she knew her job description and whether drawing money was part of it, Kusiima said that she considered the assignment as 'any other duties' as described in her appointment letter.
Kusiima's name appears on the list of missing expenditure totalling up to Shs 1.754 billion being queried by PAC. According to PAC lead counsel Michael Tusiime representing Mbarara Municipality, Kusiima according to the list signed for close to a billion shillings - an amount that is way much outside her entitlement.
Tusiime says that Kusiima, for example, acknowledged receipt of Shs 29 million on 23rd January 2018, another Shs 40 million on the same day. Kusiima again signed for another Shs 34 million on 1st February 2018, on 5th February she received Shs 51 million, Shs 30 million on 7th February 2018 among other transactions. Kusiima said she saw nothing wrong with the withdrawals since her bosses who sent her never complained of not receiving the money nor did the cashiers who dispensed the cash.
"To me as a lay person…to me, someone requisitions for the money from the accounting officer when they are supposed to carry out a certain activity. At the end, that money is paid, it is picked by an office attendant, the person who is supposed to receive the money doesn't complain either to the principal accountant or even to the permanent secretary," Kusiima submitted.
Asked the purpose of the money she received, Kusiima told PAC that she used to sign for the money on behalf of his supervisors she identified as Michael Okwalinga, the senior accounts assistant, accounts officer Julius Obai and accountant Julius Mandu.
She revealed that the money was being picked from a cashier identified as Thomas Oke, from where she could append her signature before delivering it to the three.
Questioned by Tusiime whether she knew her job description and whether drawing money was part of it, Kusiima said that she considered the assignment as 'any other duties' as described in her appointment letter.
"…It is not particularly there [withdrawing money] but in my job description, there is a part providing for 'any other duties'. Me, as an office attendant, I'm there to do what my bosses tell me to do. Not only these things, for example my boss has a right to send me to the bank to pay for his or her kid. My boss has a right to send me to the market." said Kusiima.
"It is unfortunate that there are no documents attached to show where and when I signed. So it will be difficult for me to comment on each and every money indicated here because there are no details. But as far as I can remember, I used to sign for some monies from the cashier on behalf of my supervisors, persons I used to sit with who used to requisition for these monies," she said.
Kusiima revealed that after delivering the money, the bosses did not acknowledge receipt. Chua West MP Okin Ojara told Kusiima that the funds drawn were huge and they were to cause her problems.
"It is unfortunate that there are no documents attached to show where and when I signed. So it will be difficult for me to comment on each and every money indicated here because there are no details. But as far as I can remember, I used to sign for some monies from the cashier on behalf of my supervisors, persons I used to sit with who used to requisition for these monies," she said.
Kusiima revealed that after delivering the money, the bosses did not acknowledge receipt. Chua West MP Okin Ojara told Kusiima that the funds drawn were huge and they were to cause her problems.
"So now when they come and say you're the one who was picking this money and you're also the one using this money. Can somebody be wrong to say that?" Ojara said.
PAC chairperson Nathan Nandala Mafabi questioned how the accounting officer at the time, permanent secretary Kagole Kivumbi concluded on making a payment voucher in the name of the office attendant for activities that were meant to be carried out by her supervisors.
But Kivumbi said that all the money had been accounted for and the Inspectorate of Government is currently reviewing them. Nandala declined his submission saying that the office attendant had been used to defraud government. Kivumbi acknowledged that such withdrawals might have been irregular but he said that is the operating system he found in place when he joined the Judiciary as permanent secretary.
PAC chairperson Nathan Nandala Mafabi questioned how the accounting officer at the time, permanent secretary Kagole Kivumbi concluded on making a payment voucher in the name of the office attendant for activities that were meant to be carried out by her supervisors.
But Kivumbi said that all the money had been accounted for and the Inspectorate of Government is currently reviewing them. Nandala declined his submission saying that the office attendant had been used to defraud government. Kivumbi acknowledged that such withdrawals might have been irregular but he said that is the operating system he found in place when he joined the Judiciary as permanent secretary.
"I agree, the system that I found in the Judiciary, you see I was in the Judiciary for one year and this activity, this method of…was going on," he said.
Nandala told him that essentially he and other officials were withdrawing public money for their own personal use. Tusiime said that according to the development, Kusiima was to be held accountable for the Shs 900 million missing money. PAC directed that the Kusiima's former supervisors appear before the committee next week for interrogation.
In a related development, on Wednesday PAC learnt that Kivumbi withdrew cash to the tune of Shs 9.57 billion in the 2017/2018 financial year to facilitate questionable activities.
PAC was reviewing documents provided by a whistleblower on the alleged fraud under the watch of Kivumbi. Mafabi put it to Kivumbi that he withdrew Shs 32.3 million out of the queried 9.57 billion on June 28th 2018 for the alleged travel of the chief justice, Bart Katureebe to Australia.
Available documents show that just in a space of one day, Kivumbi withdrew another Shs 29.8 million on June 29th, 2018 for the alleged travel of the chief justice to South Africa and questioned how the chief justice would travel to two destinations at the same time.
Mafabi noted that the total amount of money drawn for the alleged travel of the chief justice, deputy chief justice and other judicial officers to Australia, South Africa and inland travels was about Shs 275 million.
He explained that the money was moved from the Bank of Uganda Judiciary account to another account in Stanbic bank just a few days to the end of the financial year. MPs were also shocked to learn that the activities for which, the money was being drawn were for the next financial year.
"First of all, you shifted money from Bank of Uganda to Stanbic which meant that that one would not be 'swept. The money would not be swept back and the activities we're talking about, some of them took place in July. The one of South Africa, on 23rd July to 27th July and yet you're paying money in June from the same account in Stanbic which never closes…You shifted on 27th June Shs 713 million. So the question we're asking you as an accounting officer, how do you pay for an activity meant for the next financial year in this financial year?" said Mafabi.
In his defense, Kivumbi insisted that the chief justice travelled to Australia immediately after receiving the cash for his travel. However, Nandala and the Isingiro South MP, Alex Byarugaba wouldn't have any of this. They noted that something was fishy with the transactions. Kivumbi told the committee that the documents the committee was reviewing were incomplete and painted the wrong picture. He denied allegations of fraud, saying the money facilitated the activities for which it was drawn.
"These documents are not the complete set. There are other documents missing. I have indicated to you [PAC] chairperson that these documents were attached to a letter from this committee accusing me of fraud and making fictitious payments and am on forced leave. Listen to my prayer, this is lent [season], these documents were attached to a letter written to the permanent secretary saying that this is evidence of fraud." Kivumbi said.
"These documents are not the complete set. There are other documents missing. I have indicated to you [PAC] chairperson that these documents were attached to a letter from this committee accusing me of fraud and making fictitious payments and am on forced leave. Listen to my prayer, this is lent [season], these documents were attached to a letter written to the permanent secretary saying that this is evidence of fraud." Kivumbi said.
"My submission this afternoon is that there was no fraud in this activity. The chief justice travelled to Brisbane, Australia with a group of judicial officers. He travelled to Cape Town with a principal judge. He travelled to some other place upcountry in here. It is not fraud, I am only saying it is not that money was withdrawn and I got it. A whistleblower may have got it wrong that this money withdrawn on 25th must have [been stolen]. That is not true honorable members and because it is not true, I want you to reflect, it is not me who received the money honorable members but the activities were done." Kivumbi added.
Tusiime demanded that Kagole avails the committee full accountability of the money spent on the travels. He said that documents before the committee also show that another payment of Shs 50 million was spent on the Australian trip on top of the Shs 32 million.
Tusiime demanded that Kagole avails the committee full accountability of the money spent on the travels. He said that documents before the committee also show that another payment of Shs 50 million was spent on the Australian trip on top of the Shs 32 million.
"You're submitting two cheques over the same item against the same EFT and on the different dates. And this one I will tell you. On the 30th May a cheque was issued to the same EFT request for Shs 50m for the travel of the chief justice to Australia. Another cheque dated 28th June was issued against the same EFT of Shs 32m for the travel of the chief justice to Australia." said Tusiime.
Nandala told the committee that the chief justice denied receiving the said money when he engaged him on the matter. He put it to Kivumbi that he would be required to account for Shs 9.57 billion that was drawn in cash as opposed to using the official Bank of Uganda payment system.
Kagole is on forced leave following his interdiction by the secretary to treasury last year for alleged financial impropriety.
Nandala told the committee that the chief justice denied receiving the said money when he engaged him on the matter. He put it to Kivumbi that he would be required to account for Shs 9.57 billion that was drawn in cash as opposed to using the official Bank of Uganda payment system.
Kagole is on forced leave following his interdiction by the secretary to treasury last year for alleged financial impropriety.
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