IGG orders OPM to dismiss officials over Shs100m refugee money

By George Mangula

The Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG) Mr. George Bamugemereire has directed the Permanent Secretary Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to terminate its employees Ms Safina Nanono and Mr Moses Papa for causing financial loss to government.

Mr Bamugemereire in the press release on Friday said Ms Nanono caused government a financial loss of Shs100 million meant for refugees.

He also ordered Ms. Nanono who a programme officer, accounts department of refugees, to refund the Shs100 million and ordered her to pay a fine of Shs320, 000 or face three years imprisonment .As a result, she is also not also allowed to work in any public office for a period of 10 years.

Ms Nanono was charged for causing financial loss, contrary to Section 20 of the Anti-Corruption Act under Criminal Session Case No. HCT–00-AC-SC–004/2017.

The IGG also prosecuted Mr. Moses Papa, the Finance Officer responsible for the Refugee Desk of Adjumani in OPM for various offences relating to financial impropriety under Criminal Session Case No. HCT–00-AC-SC–004/2017. Mr Papa was convicted of two counts including; false accounting by a public officer, which violates Section 22 of the Anti-Corruption Act. Papa was slapped with a fine of just over Shs1.4 million or three years imprisonment in default.

He was also fined an extra Shs7.32 million for causing a financial loss, which violates Section 20 of the Anti-Corruption Act. Mr. Papa as a result, is barred from holding a public office for a period of 10 years.

Section 46 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 provides that: “A person who is convicted of an offence under sections 2 to 25 shall be disqualified from holding a public office for a period of ten years from his or her conviction.”

In February 2018, OPM was hit by a scandal of abuse of funds for refugees to the extent that the UN and other major donors asked the government to take action on the culprits. The UN would later take census of the refugees in Uganda. The UN raised three major issues; doubtful number of refugees in Uganda; abuse of funds and other resources by some officials and suspected trafficking in girls and women refugees.

Government with the support of UN would towards end of last year do a refugee verification exercise where about 1.1 million individuals were verified as present, representing 76% of the initial target. The original figures as of 1 March, 2018 was 1,444,856 individuals, creating ghost refugees of numbering over 350,000.

Meanwhile, the IGG on Wednesday arrested the headmaster of Mbarara High School Benon Chally Twinomujuni and the school’s bursar Michael Namara for allegedly embezzling over Shs207 million meant for the school’s various activities. The two officials stole the money contrary to Section 19 (a) and (iii) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009.

The two officials who were aligned in court took plea and each bail of One Million Shillings and their sureties 80 million, not cash. Twinomujuni   and Namara will appear in court on February 18, 2019.