The civil division of the High Court in Kampala has given a green light to the audit of the Uganda Telecom Limited.
Early this month, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), as one of the creditors to UTL applied to court to have the telecom company audited but the move met stiff resistance from various parties.
On Friday afternoon, Justice Musa Ssekaana in a ruling gave a green light to the audit process as had been requested for by the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
“It is hereby ordered that an audit be carried out on Uganda Telecom Limited in administration by the Auditor General within a period of thirty days from the date of this order,” Ssekaana ruled.
The court also directed that the audit report be given to all the Uganda Telecom creditors.
The audit created not only confusion and fight for supremacy but also a collision of politics and the law in regards Uganda Telecom issues.
Following a July 16 letter by President Museveni to Minister of State for Privatisation and Investment Evelyn Anite directing her to cause an audit into UTL to enable government confirm or clear the allegations about the mess at the telecom company, the ministry Permanent Secretary, Keith Muhakanizi ordered for the halt of the process.
In an August 2 letter, Muhakanizi asked the acting internal auditor for the ministry to halt the audit on Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) because it would be subjudice since the matter was in court.
In response, Anite asked Muhakanizi to back off the matter saying it was a presidential directive that needed to be respected.
“If you are seeking to reject the directive of H.E the President to me, do it formally and write to him instead of outright connivance, subterfuge, sabotage and manipulation all aimed at stalling efforts to find out the true state of UTL to inform further government action,”Anite’s August 2 letter reads in part.
In the letter, the furious Anite says Muhakanizi’s actions raise concern over his intentions in regards the audit into Uganda Telecom Limited.
