Henry Bamutura, Ministry of Local Government Accountant
The permanent secretary in the ministry of local government John Kashaka has been cleared of any wrong doing in the botched bicycle deal.
A state attorney in the office of the attorney general Bahagaza Suuza told court that he approved the contract for the purchase of bicycles and all the rules of public procurement and disposal of public assets had been followed.
Appearing before the Anti- Corruption Court judge Catherine Bamugemeire he added that the Attorney General of Uganda even sued NIKO Insurance Company because it had to pay back the money in case the bicycles were not brought.
So far four witnesses have already testified including the head of human resource in the ministry of local government Samuel Aitu and Joyce Nyangoma the head of the procurement disposal unit. The fourth witness to testify today Yasiin Sendawula the chairman contracts committee also cleared Kashaka of any wrong doing.
Kashaka is jointly charged with Henry Bamutara, Robert Mwebaze, Sam Emorut Erongot, Timothy Musherure and Adam Aluma all former senior technocrats in the ministry.
They are charged with 12 counts of causing financial loss of 4.2 billion shillings to the government, abuse of office and neglect of duty.
They are alleged to have committed the offence on 3rd March 2011.
Prosecution alleges that Kashaka and Bamutura in abuse of authority wrote to the Bank of Uganda amending the conditions for the final destination of the 70,000bicycles from the villages to Kampala.
It adds that the amending was done with no equitable adjustment in the contract and without reference to the contracts committee for approval as required by law and procedure.
Prosecution has lined fourteen witnesses, ten of who are yet to testify. The botched bicycle deal which rattled many Ugandans is also a subject of investigations by the parliamentary Committee on Public Service and Local Government.
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