We couldn’t allow UTL audit be done by someone appointed by Anite- Muhakanizi

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Keith Muhakanizi, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance has said he could not allow Uganda Telecom Limited to be audited by someone appointed by the Minister of State for Privatisation and Investment Evelyn Anite.

Following a July 16 directive by President Museveni to Anite asking her to cause an audit into UTL to enable government confirm or clear the allegations about the mess at the telecom company, there was standoff whether to audit or not between Anite and Muhakanizi.

However, on Friday, the civil division of the High Court gave a green light to the audit that will be carried out by the Auditor-General.

“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,” Justice Musa Ssekaana ruled.

When contacted for a comment on the matter, Muhakanizi welcomed the ruling.

“I am so happy about the court's ruling. I was never against the audit, I was only against government appointing their own auditor, yet they are shareholders which is against the law,” Muhakanizi told the Nile Post on Friday.

“If they wanted this audit, they should have asked one of the creditors to apply to court. Therefore what has happened now is what we've been fighting for.”

Muhakanizi’s comments didn’t differ with what the Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana told this website when contacted about the same matter.

“The office of the Auditor-General is happy about the court ruling because the law has taken its course,” Rukutana, who was against the audit not until the administration process elapses in November said in a phone interview.

In a letter about the matter, Rukutana had blocked the internal auditor from the Finance Ministry from carrying out the audit.

Rukutana’s letter was also a slap in the face to the directive by the President to have UTL audited noting that it could only be done after court pronouncing itself on the same.

Speaking to the Nile Post, the deputy Attorney General, citing the law, said government being a shareholder in UTL has no mandate to appoint an auditor to look into the company’s activities.

State Minister for Investment and Privatisation, Evelyn Anite could not be reached for a comment because her phone was not going through but she later tweeted applauding the court for a ruling affirming “my demand for auditing UTL and presidential directive on the same.”

“There is authority in this country and no amount of maneuvers can defeat the right and cause for people of Uganda,” Anite added.

UTL was put under administration in May 2017 after Libyans, who owned 69% of the shares left.

Additional reporting by Canary Mugume

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