By Kamugisha Leonard Akida,
NATIONAL
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Executive Director David Livingstone Ebiru is on the spot after reports of offering a Shillings 100m bribe to renew his contract at the bureau
On Wednesday, Ebiru admitted to offering a bribe to the Bureau Board members not to terminate his contract.
This was after a report from the Inspector General of Government (IGG) recommended his sacking from the Bureau due to lack of qualifications and incompetence.
Appearing before the Parliament’s Committee on Public Accounts, Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) chaired by Joel Ssenyonyi, Ebiru on Wednesday, Ebiru revealed that he borrowed Shs100 million and handed it over to Robert Mwanje, one of the board members on behalf of the board chairperson, Charles Musekuura.
“I borrowed the 100 million shillings, Robert Mwanje came to my office and picked it,” he confessed
Board members however, denied receiving the money which prompted the committee to handover Ebiru to the Parliamentary Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) for interrogation.
The committee further, faulted ED Ebiru for failing to take action against the Bureau staff who allegedly received bribes of over Shs19 billion from traders to allow them to import counterfeit goods into the country.
He was also accused of mismanaging Shs12.5 billion and causing a financial loss to UNBS
UNBS is currently on the spot over several scandals coupled with Bribery, embezzlement of funds and mismanagement of the national standards body.
On Tuesday, Parliament’s Trade Committee reported that UNBS had contracted a non existing Chinese company to offer verification services to pre-exported goods.
“The Parliament’s Trade Committee has asked officials of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to explain why a 3year contract was awarded to a Chinese based ghost company, Helmsman Quality & Technology Services Ltd (HQTS) with no physical address & staff, to provide Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) services,” read a tweet on Parliamentary Watch.
