IGG Launches a Follow-Up Unit to Recover Stolen funds.
The Inspectorate of government has today launched the Follow-up Unit to step up the efficiency and effectiveness of the fight against corruption. The Unit has been charged with the mandate to recover public funds from public officers and politicians who were ordered by the IGG and courts of law to refund money following convictions on corruption cases.
Defaulters are given two months to cough the money or be published in the press
The Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya says there has been difficulty in the recovery of Public Funds from public officers and politicians convicted in corruption cases due to the absence of a follow-up mechanism on orders sanctioned by the Inspectorate of Government and Courts of law.
The Six-Man Follow-Up Unit Chaired by Victor Acidri has been mandated to ensure that all orders by the Inspectorate of Government and Court arising from prosecutions of the IGG are implemented.
The IGG has given the Unit only two months to clear the backlog and asked people who were ordered to refund money to do so within the two months or else the Inspectorate will publish their names in the media. Kamya is concerned that defaulters owe the government billions of money which must be recovered.
Kamya also irked some public officers who declined to interdict, demote or transfer staff suspected to participate in corruption as they were ordered by the Inspectorate of government and Courts of law. She warned that they will be charged with incompetence, abuse of office, and other relevant cases provided for in the law if they don’t act in 60 days.
According to the IGG UGX, 30bn has been recovered this year, Cases worth UGX 500bn are being investigated and 50 public servants interdicted. 86 corruption cases have been investigated with 34 convictions and several procurements and recruitments halted this year. Kamya has urged the public to step up their whistle-blowing role to facilitate the Inspectorate in the fight against corruption.