MPs on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday quizzed officials from Uganda Police Force on the whereabouts of the Shs1.28bn collected as exhibits in Non Tax Revenue (NTR).
The Police team had appeared before PAC to respond to queries raised by the Auditor General in the 2017/2019 audit report.
During scrutiny into Police’s financial statements, it was established that Police didn’t remit Shs875m of NRT in 2017 and in 2018, Shs692m of revenues collected was not remitted to the consolidated fund.
This brought the monies not transferred to the consolidated fund to Shs1.567bn, but only Shs284m was accounted for, leaving a balance of Shs1.282bn unaccounted.
Nandala Mafabi, PAC Chairperson, asked why not all revenue collected was transferred to the consolidated fund.
“The Force collected NTR of Shs23bn in Non Tax Revenue; Shs22.4bn was transferred; why? The law says all Non Tax Revenue should be transferred to the consolidated fund,” Mafabi said.
Richard Katongole, Senior Accountant at Police told the Committee that the money wasn’t transferred because it was money in transit, a statement that raised more questions from MPs.
Rogers Muhirwa, Under Secretary Police said that the Force’s NTR is collected by URA and the Authority simply hands over information on money collected and Police carries out reconciliation with URA information.
Mafabi asked Muhirwa to explain why the revenue collected was retained on collection account yet it is supposed to go to the consolidated fund to which Muhirwa explained, “The Police men used electricity which was more than required in the budget and there was no way accounting officer would stop officers from going ahead.”
Mathias Mpuuga (Masaka Municipality) again rejected Muhirwa’s explanation reminding the Committee that the budget provided money for utility and the budget doesn’t show Police used money for electricity.
This prompted the Committee to put Muhirwa on oath and despite asking for more time to reconcile the figures, Muhirwa failed to come up with concrete explanation, prompting Asan Kasingye, Chief Political Commissar to ask for extra two days, a request that was granted by Parliament.
