The Inspectorate of Government has cleared the Director of Communication of Public Affairs at Parliament Mr. Chris Ariko Obore of irregular procurement of a consignment that includes a heavy-duty camera at 148m and a camera stand at 3.4m.
The procurement in question was acquired in June 2015.
In a detailed reported dated August 8, 2019, by Inspector of General of Government (IGG) Irene Mulyagonja, Mr. Obore was cleared from the scam, noting that he was not part of the said fraud.
“Chris Obore was not a party to the procurement of the professional heavy-duty camera and camera stand since he joined Parliamentary Service after the video camera had been procured,” the IGG noted.
The IGG received a complaint with allegations of corrupt practices by Mr. Emmauel Bakwega, Director of Clerks and Mr. Chris Obore, Director of Information and Communications at the parliament of Uganda.
It was alleged that Mr. Obore irregularly procured a camera at UGX 140m and a camera stand at UGX 3.4 in June 2015.
The IGG, however, exonerated Mr. Obore in a procurement process that was entangled with a lot of fraud and dishonesty.
The reported says that the Procurement Unit of Parliament as the user department failed to elaborate specifications for required the camera.
“Ms. Julian Kaganzi, the Chief Procurement Officer and Mr. Patrick Lassu, the senior Procurement officer did not seek due diligence from the user department regarding the specifications required,” the IGG noted.
The IGG also noted that M/S MTA Computer Limited who were contracted to supply the Professional Camera delivered it in bits and pieces.
According to the report, the professional video camera components were delivered without the lens and “this caused misunderstand and arguments with the user department.”
Eventually, the report adds that the tripod was substituted for the lens which in effect altered the specifications.
The IGG says that Mr. Abdul Kasule Kagimu the Public Affairs Officer who was the acting contract manager did not seek approval of the contracts committee and accounting officer as by law required, hence that amounted to an irregularity.
The investigations of the IGG also discovered that the camera supplied was of a different model (PWD -850) from PWD 800 which was ordered for.
“The reason given for the change of model was that the lower model ordered for (PDW) was no longer on the market but “the occurrence of the contract committee and the accounting officer was not sought.”
The new model delivered, however, requires a card reader estimated to cost about UGX 40m and that since the card reader has not been purchased the heavy-duty camera remains redundant.
As that was not enough, other requisition was later raised by user department for the camera stand which had been substituted at an additional cost of UGX3.4m whose payment was made before it was delivered on advice of Mr. Bosio Sam, the assistant Inventory Management officer, and Mrs. Barbra Nabitaka, public affairs officer to the parliamentary commission.
The IGG has recommended that the duo be fired for misleading Accounts Unit into paying camera stand before it was delivered.
“The clerk of parliament should submit Mr. Bosio Sam, the assistant Inventory Management officer, and Mrs. Barbra Nabitaka, public affairs officer to the parliamentary commission to consider relieving them of their duties for misleading accounts unit to pay for the camera stand before it was delivered,” the IGG wrote.
