Musenero fails to account for COVID19 money

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations, Dr Monica Musenero while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday failed to account for the COVID-19-related expenses.

The minister who had appeared before the Committee to respond to queries in the Auditor General’s (AG) report failed to provide accountability documents relating to the Covid-19 expenditure for the financial years of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.

According to the report, the AG couldn’t ascertain whether all Covid-19 expenditures were applied in accordance with existing guidelines and regulations because Musenero did not provide specific accountability documents.

The particulars of the documents the AG said were not availed include proof of submission of accountability by the Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE) by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations (MoSTI).

Others are the approved adjusted budgets for the laboratory animal house project and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and antibody diagnostic test kits, PRESIDE follow-up on un-installed equipment for scientists and the records regarding the current status of equipment procured by MoSTI.

In response, Ms Musenero said the documents are all there and gave the example of the one containing records regarding the current status of equipment procured by MoSTI but failed to lay them on the table.

In the Financial Year 2020/2021, the MosTI received Shs31b in supplementary funding to fight Covid-19.

Medard Ssegona, the Busiro County East MP and committee chairperson, ruled that the minister’s actions affected the AG’s work.

“Whatever report the AG issued is subject to this limitation and you know what this means. Honourable minister, you committed an offence unless you extricate yourself from this.” .”