Kampala. The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has begun investigating the alleged fraud in procurement of new security installations for Entebbe International Airport.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the body responsible for aviation security, including at Entebbe International Airport, co-opted police in an informal arrangement to purchase “new” security installations for the airport, including diverse models of X-ray machines, scanners, escalator systems, binoculars and night vision goggles, surveillance cameras, among others.
The entire equipment package is put at a cost of $5m (Shs18 billion).
However, a whistleblower reported to the IGG, Justice Irene Mulyagonja, that the CAA managing director, Dr Rama Makuza, delegated the purchase of the equipment without consultation or approval of the board and senior personnel.
“With the new arrangement, CAA would transfer money to police to source a supplier for security equipment under classified expenditure,” reads the whistleblower’s account to the IGG.
The whistleblower says months after delegating the procurement to police, Dr Makuza told his management team that he had been instructed by both ministers of Security and Transport to do so because CAA was not mandated to implement security projects.
“But both the CAA board and management questioned the legality of the delegation under the PPDA Act, and also argued that CAA was mandated to do such procurement under the CAA Act,” says the whistleblower’s report, a copy of which Sunday Monitor has seen.
The report further states that prices for the key equipment were inflated and there was no signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CAA and police to formalise the procurement.
The report says that, for example, the listed X-ray machines to be supplied at $2.7m (Shs9.4b), are standalone components that are not compatible with the existing terminal building systems.
The reports says the escalator systems quoted at $350,000 (Shs1.2b), will cost double the market price, besides its specifications not being stated anywhere in the Statement of Requirement.
The whistleblower report also indicates there was no feasibility or technical assessments done before initiating the purchase of the equipment. It further notes that even in such a scenario, evaluation of the standards of the equipment would have to involve International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO), the UN agency that regulates international air transport.
On June 25, the police under secretary, Mr Rogers Muhirwa, wrote to Dr Makuza indicating that a National security technical team had carried out a benchmarking visit at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in neighbouring Kenya and also had discussions with ICAO officials in Nairobi on equipment standards and specifications.“The procurement was initiated, bidders invited and successful bidder awarded a tender, and a contract has been signed. Therefore, the funds should be urgently transferred to the Uganda Police Force bank account,” Mr Muhirwa told Dr Makuza.
Despite the said consultations, the report says these were officials drawn from only police, Internal Security Organisation and External Security Organisation without personnel from aviation security and IT, which may explain why the equipment are not compatible or sophisticated.
Sunday Monitor has learnt that CAA has since wired the money to police’s account in Bank of Uganda.
The IGG spokesperson, Ms Ali Munira, confirmed they had received complaint. “The complaint was made to the IGG and investigations have started,” she said.
The Solicitor General, the government chief legal adviser, cleared the deal and Mr Muhirwa signed a contract with the Dubai-based Restrata Solutions FZ-LLC, on June 25. Restrata Solutions will in turn buy almost all the equipment from Rapiscan, a company with a local representative in Uganda.
According to the whistleblower’s dossier, “the motivation of delegating the procurement to police remains unknown since the CAA Act provides for implementation of security-related projects.” Police and CAA are also seeking another $30m (aboutShs105b) set aside as required funding for unspecified long-term airport security measures.
Works and Transport minister John Byabagambi had said in an earlier interview that the amount was based on estimates by security organs.
Uganda’s security chiefs, meeting on July 7, agreed that the security equipment for the airport be leased to expedite the works and cheaply. This was after President Museveni froze CAA’s initial plan, based on an evaluation by Uganda’s Security ministry, to delegate management of the airport’s security to a French firm.
CAA’s public affairs manager Ignie Igunduura told this newspaper on Friday that he was not aware of the IGG investigations.