By Spy Uganda
Fort Portal: Based on the letter intercepted by our spy written by the new Fort Portal tourism City Mayor, Asaba Edson Ruyonga, the acting Town Clerk Fort Portal City Council, Ahimbisibwe Innocent is among the barriers to tourism city’s development as he is accused of allegedly using his office to misappropriate government funds allocated to the development of the City.
“contrary to Article 200(1) of the Constitution of Uganda 1995 and Article 67(1)&(4) of the Local Government Act Cap 243, Public Financial Management under the Local Government Financial and Accounting Regulations 2007 Sections 11 and 71(1), Local Government Financial and Accounting Manual 2007 Sections 2.2.1 (6), 4.5.384.5.4(13), then-Treasury Instructions 2017 Sections 7.3.1, 7.3.5 and 7.4, you used your position on various occasions to make dubious transactions without council’s approval,” Ruyonga pinned the Clerk in his missive copied to State House’s Anti-Corruption Head Col.Edith Nakalema, among other offices.
The letter clarifies that Ahimbisibwe dubiously transacted on; 20, April 2021 Shs. 8,905,550/=, 16, April 2021 Shs.59,395,000/= and on 12th April Shs. 19,962,667/=.
It further added that on 22 February 2021 he transacted Shs. 32,146,922 through the same Bank Account Number from December 2019 to Financial Year 2020/2021.
It is also said that on 22, April 2021, Ahimbisibwe paid Shs 10,868,000 to a company in the names of SOSECO to supply Street Lights for which the Company never supplied but removed old street lights from Rukidi III and Lugard Streets, repainted them and took them to Nyabukara, Kabundaire and Kyamukerege.
Also, the clerk is accused of irregularly advancing funds to a company for the Construction of Kaboyo and Ruhandika Roads without a genuine Bank Guarantee and that the contractor varnished with the money.
”Fort Portal City Council does not have an awarded Contract to construct USMID roads due to your connivance with the highest bidder who had inflated bills of quantities,” Ruyonga tells Ahimbisibwe in the letter.
It is alleged that Ahimbisibwe further outsourced the functions of Revenue Enumeration and Assessment without Council approval to a Private Company to a tune of Shs.400,000,000/= when employees to do that work were available.
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In the same vein, Ahimbisibwe is accused of allowing a Finance Staff by the names of Musinguzi Leo an Accountant Salary Scale U4 to participate in politics without resigning and after losing, he allowed him back and is still paying him Government Salary.
As a result therefore, Ruyonga says Ahimbisibwe has stifled the office of the substantively appointed Chief Finance Officer/Principal Treasurer to perpetuate the above anomalies thus hindering development and service delivery in Fort Portal City Council.
”The purpose of this communication is therefore to request you clarify all the above-mentioned anomalies for they do not serve the interests of Fort Portal City Council,” says Ruyonga.
