By Watchdog reporter
President Museveni has promised to take serious measures on the ministry of finance headed by Minister Matia Kasaija and Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi, who are reigning over a den of “thieves”.
A tough talking Museveni told ministers in the cabinet that he will not tolerate leaders who are running down the country using schemes such as milking investors.
The president pointed out the ministry of finance since it is at the centre of investigators after the president himself nailed senior ministry officials asking for more than Shs15 billion from Chinese investors before they set up a Shs2 trillion phosphates plant in Tororo District.
The project would employ at least 1,200 Ugandans Charles Ogol, the principal finance officer, and Mr Geoffrey Turyamuhika, a senior economist were arrested as they shared spoils of the loot from the Chinese amounting to $60,000 (about Shs216m). The amount was a simple deposit.
Museveni told the ministers, many of which are as guilty as the arrested government officials, that Finance officials asked the phosphates investors a total of $1.5m (Shs5 billion) before they can write to URA to waive stamp duty of $8m (Shs29 billion) on top of asking for another $3m (Shs11 billion) for connecting electricity to the factory.
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