Auditor General: There is syndicated corruption in government

JORDAN MUBANGIZI & ESTHER NAMUTAMBA

The Auditor General, John Muwanga, has told the land probe that he advised government against compensating Dr. Muhammed Kasasa over the Mutungo land saga only to be ignored by greedy and corrupt officials who wanted to steal taxpayers money.

Muwanga told the commission led by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire that Dr. Kasasa did not have a land tittle and any transaction with him would lead to loss of money by government.

“I informed the attorney general that as far as my office is concerned, we have not seen any tittle regarding the said land in the names of Dr. Muhammad Kasasa and therefore any transaction with him would be financially dangerous for government” said Muwanga.

He told the commission that the widespread impunity in government was alarming, where letters from the Auditor General’s office against the transaction were ignored and government is now at the verge of losing 26 billion shillings the botched deal

"There is a lot of syndicated corruption, from one office to the other. From one department to another and somehow it is a chain of corrupt government officials," Muwanga said.

 In 2008, the valuation of the land put its value at Shs 2billion. But recently the same land was revalued at Shs 26 billion against the Auditor General's advice.

Gilbert Kirimundo the chief government valuer, shocked the commission when he revealed that most documents presented to government by Kasasa were forgeries that quoted meeting with the chief government valuer that never happened.

He also shocked the commission when he revealed that the deal was mired in legal inconsistencies that were only drawn to benefit specific individuals.