Peter Kimunda, the former Director Internal Audit, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has pinned the former Minister of Works Eng. Abraham Byandala for having ordered Eng. Ssebuga Kimezze to sign the Katosi Road contract with the nonexistent EUTAW Construction Company limited, which was still being investigated hence causing government a UGX 25Billion loss.
Kimunda, the third Prosecution witness in his testimony before Anti Corruption Court judge Justice Lawrence Gidudu, revealed that he got to know about EUTAW after receiving a preliminary copy of the Due Diligence report investigating on EUTAW, which among others advised the Acting Executive Director UNRA Eng Kimezze not to sign the contract pending further investigations.
“I advised the Acting E.D not to sign the contract with EUTAW because the report clearly pointed out that upon investigation, it was found that the list of directors who were supposed to represent the company in signing of the contract didn’t appear on the online list of Directors for EUTAW Construction Company Mississippi,” he said.
Kimunda adds that Eng. Kimezze proceeded to inform the minister about the recommendation but during their conversation on the phone, Eng Kimezze was heard asking the minister to put something into writing.
“A few hours after the telephone contact, the letter of which I was copied to came into office from minister of works Eng. Byandala ordering Eng. Kimezze to sign the contract.”
The witness added that he had earlier received a number of documents in support of the signing of the contract and these included payment documents, requisition by EUTAW of payment guarantee from Housing Finance Bank Limited, verification of guarantee by the bank and a letter from Director Finance and administration Joe Semugoma showing that the guarantee had been verified.
“I received the documents as one of my duties to ensure that the right procedure has been followed before the Executive Director approves payment. I thereafter stamped them and forwarded them to the office of the E.D.”
The contract for upgrading Mukono Katosi road was thus signed on 15 November 2013 by Eng. Kimezze Ssebuga the acting ED UNRA with Marvin Baryaruha as a witness while on EUTAW’s side Richard Plat signed with Apollo Senkeeto. The total amount for the contract was 24.8bn shillings.
Further hearing of this case was adjourned to 21st June