By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The Prime Minister’s Office officials who include the Permanent Secretary Christine Guwatudde, Joel Wanjala, the Under Secretary and accounting officer, Martin Owor, the commissioner disaster preparedness, and Fred Lutimba, the assistant commissioner in charge of procurement to face 24 fresh charges over COVID-19 Relief Food Scam.
While appearing before the Buganda Road Court yesterday, the state preferred fresh charges against the four officials under over fraudulent practices related to the procurement of relief food that was supplied to people affected by the Coronavirus lockdown.
The prosecution alleges that the quartet in abuse of the authority of their respective office did an arbitrary act, prejudicial to the interest of their employer and issued an award letter to Aponye Uganda Limited for the supply of 2,000,000 kilograms of maize at shs3000per kilogram worth six billion shillings in total disregard of the procurement procedures.
The group is also accused of awarding a contract to supply 200,000kg of beans worth one billion shillings to Aponye for Covid relief food without proper bidding process but claimed the same had been done by the OPM contracts committee whereas not.
They are also accused of awarding a contract to supply 100,000kg of beans worth shs450 million to Operation Wealth in total disregard of the procurement procedures.
The state also accuses the group of awarding a contract to supply relief food to NMACKS Investment Limited claiming it had been done through the OPM contracts committee whereas not.
The Anti-Corruption Court is set to start hearing of the case on July 15, 2020.
The group was arrested in April on the orders of President Museveni, who directed the head of State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Col Edith Nakalema to investigate procurement of the Covid-19 food relief.
However later they were granted bail by the Buganda grade one magistrate, Doreen Karungi appearing before court via video conference from Kigo and Kitalya minimax prisons.Â
