The Accountant General Ministry of Finance has halted payment of shs 1,047,318,000 to MS. Kibubbu Agro Suppliers Limited as authorized by the executive director of the National Animal Genetic Resource Centre and Data Bank (NAGRIC & DB), Dr Charles Lagu.
This website has exclusively obtained a letter in which the Account General of Ministry of Finance L. Semakula is assuring the Director Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) AIGP Grace Akullo that the payment has been stopped until investigations are complete.
In this separate case, Dr Lagu is being investigated under a police file number GEF/057/2020.
This website has also learnt that State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Col Edith Nakalema is pursuing the same matter to ascertain why Lagu had authorized this payment which lacks a clear purpose.
The interdicted ED was Friday granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Pamela Lamunu.
The magistrate directed that the accused deposit in court their passports and a copy of their national identity cards.
Lagu’s offences stem from the fraudulent procurement and supply of chloris gayana, a kind of grass, from one government farm to another. It is alleged that the grass was procured from Ruhengyere Farm and supplied to Nshaara Ranch and Sanga farms by Nuruma Holdings Limited at the cost of sh54, 400, 000.
Lagu had been arrested by Col Nakalema a fortnight ago at his home in Mbarara and brought to Kampala where Court remanded him to Kitakya Prison.
This fresh 1.4 billion investigations, a source at Nakalema’s unit said that Dr Lagu had failed to account for the money by explaining the purpose of the payment.
“He simply authorised Ministry of Finance to pay a supplier. But you wonder what the supplier did to deserve that payment,” said a source.
This prompted Col Nakalema who works closely with CID boss Akullo to commission investigations by asking Finance Ministry of halt payment.
“This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter requesting us to halt payment of UGX 1047318000 to Ms Kibubbu Agro Suppliers Ltd from National Animal Genetic Resource Center and Data Bank (NAGRC &DB) until you complete investigations into this case. I can confirm the above payment has been stopped,” said Ministry of Finance in a letter dated May 4.
This website couldn’t reach Dr Lagu to explain the purpose of the payment.
But several accusations have been raised by NAGRC staff against the conduct of Dr Lagu for misusing his office for personal gains.
A lot more allegations have been levelled against him ranging from misappropriation of money to nepotism.
For example a section of NAGRC staff told Col Nakalema that Dr Lagu would send money to their accounts and later ask them to withdraw it and hand it over to him without a clear purpose.
Lagu who is defended by a section of prominent officials in government has however responded to all the allegations previously saying he is persecuted along tribal lines.
But this website understands that all the defenders of Lagu are beneficiaries of his schemes he orchestrated at NAGRC.
Last Friday we published a list of high profile Ugandans who have been given thousands of brooded chicks for free by Dr Lagu.
