By Andrew Irumba
Details of Bank of Uganda officials whose wealth is now a subject of a ‘meticulous verification exercise’ by the Inspectorate of Government has leaked!
A list of top BoU officials who declared their incomes, assets and liabilities to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) in accordance with the Leadership Code Act, include Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, Deputy Governor Louis Kasekende and others.
Some BoU officials who talked to our reporter reacted with consternation and accused the IGG of ‘witch-hunt’. Two senior managers, who asked not to be quoted because they are not allowed to speak to the press, argued that the Central Bank managers needed a break given the fact that they are currently in court over Crane Bank and at the same time faced with a damning Auditor General’s report on the mismanagement of seven closed banks.
Responding to accusations of witch-hunt, the IGG spokesperson, Ms Munira Ali, said: “We are verifying incomes, assets and liabilities of BoU officials because the law requires that we do so. There is nothing like witch-hunt, in any case, we have just completed Uganda National Roads Authority, Permanent Secretaries and Accountant and now we are handling BoU officials.”
“This is routine and as the Inspectorate, we took a decision to handle BoU in this quarter. I don’t think people should tell us how to do our work. This verification exercise has already started and we have written letters to some BoU officials. They received our letters and those who have not received theirs, they will get their letters,” she said.
Ms Charity Mugumya, the director communications at BoU, on Wednesday said; “It is the personal responsibility of the managers to comply with the law.”
Although the IGG is targeting the wealth of 100 BoU officials, internally, a team of IGG investigators led by a senior valuer who is funded by Strengthening Uganda’s Anti-Corruption and Accountability Regime and Technical Advisory Facility (SUGAR-TAF) singled out about 60 officials in the first phase.
These, according to sources, have received letters from the IGG informing them about the wealth verification exercise.
The 2017 declaration forms to IGG contain details of incomes, assets and liabilities of BoU officials. Some own assets in areas such as Bukoto, Makindye, Ggaba, Ntinda and others are located in Wakiso, Mukono and others areas in the countryside.
