The former Assistant Commissioner Accounts/ head of accounts section of Mulago National Referral Hospital, Ponziano Nyeko, has been remanded to Luzira Prison over corruption related charges.
Mr Nyeko who has been on the run is accused of involvement in the irregular payment of billions of shillings to private companies, Setramaco International Limited and Convention World Limited.
The prosecution alleges that Nyeko and his co-accused, including former hospital employees and directors of the private companies, engaged in a scheme to defraud the hospital of millions of taxpayers’ money.
The Nakasero-based Anti-Corruption court presided over by magistrate Abert Asiimwe remanded Nyeko until July 25 for his bail ruling as his co-accused are already on bail.
They include; Dr Byarugaba Baterana (former hospital’s executive director), Eng Edward Kataha, a former senior hospital engineer, Kenneth Wafula (former senior hospital administrator), Christopher Okware (former head of procurement and disposal unit) and Adah Kamucunguzi (former procurement officer).
Others are; Perezi Batanda, an assistant Engineer Bugema Village along Mbale-Tororo Road and Directors of Setramaco Limited and Convention World Limited, Robert Wasike and Catherine Winfred Nabwire.
They faces charges of abuse of office and causing financial loss regarding contested payments of billions of millions of taxpayers’ money, which they have all denied.
Prosecution alleges that Kataha and Okware abused their authority by irregularly requisitioning for a total of Shs3 billion to be paid to Setramaco International Limited for purported supply of consumables without following the established public procurement procedures.
It is alleged that during the financial year 2015/2016 and 2016/17 at the offices of Setramaco International in Kampala, Wasike and Nabwire being shareholders and directors of the company, used their said company to invoice Mulago National Referral Hospital of Shs3 billion as payment for purported supply of consumables for non-existent autoclaves with capacity of 1500 litres, having reason to believe that such invoicing for fictitious supplies would cause financial loss to the said hospital.
The state alleges that during the financial year 2019 and 2020 at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Dr Baterana, Nyeko and Mwasa irregularly processed payment of Shs1.581 billion to Setramaco International Limited for routine servicing of autoclave without following the proper procedures for processing public payments.
The said money (Shs1.581 billion) was allegedly received by Setramaco International Limited directors, Nabwire and Wasike upon presenting fictitious invoices and that the same money was irregularly certified based on non-executed works.
The state further alleges that in the financial year 2016/17, at Mulago hospital in Kampala, Kamucunguzi being employed as procurement officer, abused her office and flouted the…