"We have been updating the committee since
"The burden of proof is with that person who alleges. If they can bring a document that proves that I have paid shs400 million to transport documents to Entebbe, I will give you my next salary in full."
Interfacing the committee early this week, a Principal Assistant Secretary at the ministry, Everest Ahimbisibwe told MPs that the ministry had used shs400 million to transport documents from
Commenting about the claim, Ssali insisted that the shs400 million was just an exaggeration, adding that there is no proof of the same amount as was alleged.
To this she said the correct figure of shs59.3 million used for transportation of the documents is what was quoted by the Auditor General in his report and not the alleged shs400 million.
"The Auditor General has cleared us on these allegations. We never transported documents for shs400 million. I can't spend my time fighting with a little monkey in the forest than stick to my work."
Disgruntled officials
The Trade Ministry Permanent Secretary described as disgruntled, Ahimbisibwe, a ministry official he said is currently interdicted to aid in investigations of misconduct at work.
"No one wants to have disciplinary charges against them. He is undergoing a disciplinary hearing and was interdicted. That person( Ahimbisibwe) has a litany of disciplinary cases under investigations including misappropriation of fuel and threatening to kill his colleague. How can someone say they used fuel worth shs7 million in a month? He had turned it into a cash bonanza and an investigation is ongoing," Ssali said.
Inflation of cars, renovation costs
As part of the interface with the committee, another former official, Alfred Lapyem told MPs that the Permanent Secretary purchased old cars for ministers and at an inflated price.
Lapyem said when he raised concern over the inflation, he was kicked out.
Responding to the same, the ministry Permanent Secretary dismissed as untrue the reports, adding that Lapyem was the one behind the inflation which was later aborted.
"The decisions were made for the benefit of the majority and not the individual few. In fact, when I came in, ministers were complaining of using old cars which were always breaking down. When I contacted the head of procurement, ( Lapyem), he said he had already started on the process but realized he was going up and down, left, right and centre,"Ssali said.
"When I asked him, he said the cars come at shs650 million .....he said there was someone who could provide the cars at shs3.2billion. Unfortunately, when I asked, I was told Lapyem had come over the weekend on November, 7, 2021 with the bidders and that he had signed with them. Later one of the bidders came to say he had been kicked out of the process yet he had the lowest bid."
"He has gone on to tell MPs that I had inflated the cars but he is the one who had inflated the prices. He came up with a value of shs3.205billion yet the person who was supposed to take the contract was 2.82billion. The difference is shs385billion and make the deal on November, 7, 2023."
Ssali accused Lapyem of making wild and unfounded allegations, noting that he is jilted for having kicked out of the ministry when he tried to inflate the cost of the cars .
"He was kicked out for working against the main agenda of getting quality for money out of every purchase."
"Whereas there are allegations of the cars being old, they were cleared by an inspection report by the
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