Uganda’s former Minister for works Abraham Byandala has been jailed by the country’s anti corruption court over a 7 Million dollar roads scam involving an american engineering firm, called Eutaw.
Those remanded include former Ag. Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority, Joe Ssemugooma, (former Ag Director Finance and Administration), Marvin Baryaruha (former legal Counsel, Apollo Senkeeto alias Kalyesubula Mark, (businessman and ”Eutaw” Representative), Isaac Mugote (former Banker, Housing Finance Bank Ltd).
According to the charge sheet prepared and signed off by the country’s Ombudsman Irene Mulyagonja, the minister is accused of having abused his office while holding the Works ministry docket by a November 14, 2013 letter, when he directed the immediate signing of the contract between UNRA and EUTAW, an American construction firm that was contracted to upgrade the Katosi Road and yet the company lacked capacity to perform.
It was later discovered that EUTAW Uganda was not in anyway connected to EUTAW in America and the firm’s Alleged Representative Apollo Ssenketto was an impersonator. with the American firm Informing UNRA in a letter that they had been conned.
After getting the contract, ”EUTAW” sub contracted a Chinese firm CICO to do the job and schemed off its cut.
The case returns to trial in 2 weeks ,the same time the Minister will spend in jail on remand as the Magistrate rejected his application for Bail.
