By Sophan Niwamanya
apearlnews.com
Four district engineers from the Kigezi region who were arrested for allegedly causing financial loss to the government, abuse of office, and corruption have this evening been released on police bond.
The suspects are: Denis Twesigwomwe, Rubanda District Engineer; David Otika, Rubanda District Water Officer; Spencer Ngabirano, town engineer for Ryakarimira town council in Kabale District; and Eric Sivaseya Mutumba, Senior Kanungu District Engineer.
They were arrested on Tuesday evening by officials from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit led by Fatimah Namukwaya, the deputy director of anti-corruption operations under the Internal Security Organization (ISO). They were arrested after recording statements at Kabale Municipal Council’s main hall.
Twesigwomwe is accused of sanctioning the payment to Ricky Construction Company, which had contracted to construct Shilling 500 million worth of structures at Mpungu Health Center III in Hamurwa town council during the 2019/2020/2021 financial year, yet it had developed cracks before handover. He was also accused of ignoring the same contractor’s installation of a substandard solar system.
Otuke is accused of failing to explain how a stalled 6.2 billion shilling Bushura water supply project was implemented in Hamuhambo town council and Bubaare sub-county, Rubanda district, during the financial year 2019/2020 when the district lacked the capacity to fund it. The project stalled after the district had already injected 677 million shillings.
Ngabirano is accused of keeping a deaf ear after the assistant town clerk, Alex Ampeire, embezzled approximately UGX 414.28 million in government funds and later fled to China. Nbabirano is also accused of sanctioning 60 million shillings for roofing condemned staff houses pending demolition.
Now, in a police statement released by police, the Kigezi region police spokesperson says that the suspects have benefited from the constitutional right of a police bond after each of them produced substantial sureties on condition to report back as soon as the concerned office clears some issues as far as investigations are concerned, which will determine a way forward.
ENDS//
