The Parliamentary public accounts committee has grilled Kachumbala County MP, Patrick Isiagi Opolot for inefficiency during the period he worked as an accountant at Mulago hospital.

Mulago hospital’s Executive Director Dr. Byarugaba Baterana

Isiagi had been summoned along other officials from Mulago hospital headed by the Executive Director Dr. Byarugaba Baterana to answer financial queries as indicated in the Auditor General’s Report of the year 2013/14.

The report highlights a 1.7bilion n shillings mischarge and this money was meant for medical expenses for the hospital staff but was diverted by the then accountant of Mulago hospital Isiagi Opolot to cater for staffs’ night allowances, cleaning, buying stationary, staff training workshops among other activities.

The members on the committee chaired by MP for Soroti Angelina Osege notes that Opolot’s conduct then was unprofessional because its during this process of diverting costs that money gets lost and it cannot be accounted for.

However, in his response, Opolot says he only diverted monies to avoid any paralysis/crisis in the hospital since government only comes in quarterly basis which normally leaves gaps at time of need.

The committee further quizzed Opolot 1billion shillings payment to personal staff accounts as advances to help them do government work including carrying out research, paying intern medical workers, paying for staff public holidays allowances among others.

The MPs note that this was so risky that could see all this money swindled especially in cases when these individuals have loans in banks that could easily chop this money yet it was not for the individual who holds the account.

Opolot was also taken through an oath when the MPs thought he was taking them for granted when he was recklessly responding to the queries.