The Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) Joel Ssenyonyi has expressed his astonishment at the Inspector General of Government (IGG)’s decision to drop corruption charges against David Ebiru, the former head of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).
This move comes despite the government being provided with overwhelming evidence of Ebiru confessing to paying a bribe of Shs100 million to extend his contract.
Ssenyonyi says during the COSASE inquiry into UNBS, they publicly presented these messages to then ED David Ebiru, and he admitted that the messages were true and were exchanged between him and a board member.
Ssenyonyi says it is shocking that charges against him have now been withdrawn without a valid reason.
However, Patricia Ochan, Deputy IGG, defended the decision to drop the charges against Ebiru in a media interview.
She stated that COSASE only provided the proceedings of the Committee without accompanying evidence of the board members soliciting or receiving the alleged bribe.
Ochan further explained that the Inspectorate did not have the necessary evidence to pin Ebiru on corruption because he simply confessed to giving a bribe.
