A Chinese construction firm Zhongmei Engineering Group Limited has donated a number of double-cabin pickup vehicles to senior staff of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), TrumpetNews understands.
This firm was recently awarded a 220billion contract by UNRA Executive Director Allen Kagina to upgrade the Rukungir Kihihi/Ishansha Kanungu road.
However, Zhongmei was sometime back blacklisted by Parliament ad cautioned all government agencies to desist from conducting business with the company.
According to a staff in UNRA who asked to remain unnamed said that offering top shots such powerful vehicles was courtesy to appreciate the authorities for having won the multibillion contract.
TrumpetNews reporters have on numerous occasions cited some of the UNRA staff cruising the monster rides on Kampala streets and upcountry.
Our lensman captured a one Henry Muhangi driving a double-cabin pickup registration number UAT 469K.
“He even had the courage to drive it to court recently,” a junior staff in UNRA said.
This development comes two months after Mengo Grade 1 Magistrate issued an order restraining UNRA and the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) from dealing with Zhongmei Engineering Group LTD.
The Court order by His Worship George Watyekere directed UNRA to halt business with Zhongmei until investigations into the Company’s alleged fraud are concluded.
The Chinese company is accused of registering under three different names as indicated above, a suspicious tendency that prompted the investigating officer Mr Cornelius Wabweyo to seek a court order halting dealings between the company and UNRA and PPDA.
According to investigations by the Uganda Criminal Investigations Division (CID) in Kibuli, the file of the company could not be obtained from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau as it was missing.
This is why the Police asked for a court order seeking to block the dealings of the Chinese company with both UNRA and PPDA.
As a result, a court order instructing the two public bodies to stop dealing with the Chinese company was received by the Directorate of Legal Services UNRA on January 10. However, UNRA has reportedly defied Court.