Police probe Tourism billions cash bonanza
By JOHN NJOROGE
Posted Wednesday, September 21 2011 at 00:00
Posted Wednesday, September 21 2011 at 00:00
KAMPALA
A special police unit is investigating Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Julius Onen, over suspicions he may have abused his office and misappropriated close to Shs7 billion in taxpayers’ money.
The unit is studying documents detailing how Shs7b remitted to then trade and tourism ministry by the Treasury for taxes and refunds to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for the Protected Areas Management for Sustainable Use (PAMSU) project was spent.
According to documents seen by this newspaper, the Treasury disbursed Shs6.97b to the ministry under the instruction name PAMSU project between September 2009 and June 2010. Of the disbursements Shs3.486 billion was for Uganda Revenue Authority taxes and Shs3.484b meant to be refunded to UWA. But documents obtained by this newspaper indicate that the money, obtained over an 11-month period, was mainly spent on a cocktail of allowances.
Onen’s take
The documents also indicate that URA only received Shs392m in taxes between July 2009 and June 2010, while UWA received three payments totalling to Shs1.82 billion.
The documents also indicate that URA only received Shs392m in taxes between July 2009 and June 2010, while UWA received three payments totalling to Shs1.82 billion.
“I am employed to deal with policy, not money … I delegate all my accounting functions to my under-secretary,” Ambassador Onen told this newspaper yesterday, adding that all payments for allowances were well deserved, approved and properly accounted for.
Mr James Tukahirwa, Ambassador Onen’s principal assistant, however, said the ministry never touched the Shs3.486b meant for URA, insisting that Finance Ministry made a mistake in its disbursement instructions.
“PAMSU ended in 2008. This money was meant for PASU,” Mr Tukahirwe said, referring us to the 2009/10 National Budget. “Gross tax payments are mere book entries. The money is actually remitted to the Consolidated Fund,” he added, also referring this newspaper to the Accountant General.
“PAMSU ended in 2008. This money was meant for PASU,” Mr Tukahirwe said, referring us to the 2009/10 National Budget. “Gross tax payments are mere book entries. The money is actually remitted to the Consolidated Fund,” he added, also referring this newspaper to the Accountant General.
The Budget showed the existence of another project called Protected Areas and Sustainable use (PASU), started under the 2009/10 development budget. It describes the project as one meant to purchase specialised equipment for national parks and game reserves, to build two bird viewing points and to construct cold rooms.
Shs4.31 billion was to be allocated to this project which, unlike PAMSU, ended in the same financial year it was started. Government however remitted Shs3.484 billion. But the ministry’s accountability shows anything far from specialised equipment—with most money used as allowances as shown below.
jnjoroge@ug.nationmedia.com
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