The Parliament of Uganda has ordered a city lawyer identified as Patrick Katabaazi Kiconco to refund Ugx 39 Billion he obtained from National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), and misappropriated the funds meant for tea nursery beds. He was ordered to refund the money within six months or face prosecution.
According to the Auditor General’s report, NAADS advanced Ugx 39 Billion to Pathways Advocates to compensate tea nursery operators who had sued government for failure to procure their seedlings.
The Executive Director (ED) of NAADS, Samuel Mugasi tabled evidence showing how the agricultural body advanced funds to Pathways Advocates in two installments of Ugx 27 Billion and Ugx 12 Billion.
Eddie Kwizera, the Member of Parliament for Bukimbiri constituency, however said that, out of the 142 beneficiaries from Kisoro who Kiconco claimed to have paid, the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry randomly sampled five farmers, but they revealed that they had not received any money.
Following a report by Committee of Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), it was established that, Katabaazi obtained Ugx 39 Billion meant for tea nursery operators and failed to fully remit it.
“Lawyer Katabaazi should be prosecuted for failure to remit money meant for tea operators. He should pay back all the money due to the beneficiaries within six months,” the COSASE report read in part.
Parliament warned government agencies against making payments to beneficiaries through lawyers in order to stop such occurrences in the future.
“Going forward, government should make all pending payments directly to the beneficiaries,” the COSASE report read.
Katabaazi was ordered to pay all the money within six months from the date of adoption of the report.
On October 20, 2023, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit arraigned David Balondemu, another City lawyer and Chairperson of Kampala District Land Board in court, on charges of obtaining money amounting to Ugx 2.2 Billion from a Korean investor by false pretense.
