CHIMPREPORTS
Mbarara North Legislator Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari has refuted claims that he grabbed four plots of land which originally belonged to Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).
Last week, the Director of Privatization Unit (PU) Moses Mwase, told Parliament that Rukaari acquired four properties during Phase One of the URC Divestiture Action Plan which commenced in 2007.
To prove his point, Mwase tabled documents pinning the latter on five plots of land notably (Plots 72, 74&78) measuring 0.398 acres on Chorley Crescent in the leafy suburb and another one located on Plot 976 Kibuga Block 29 in Mulago.
Mwase also told the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Commissions (COSASE) that they (PU) have never received a penny from the sale of that land.
However, while appearing before the same committee on November 30, 2021, Rukaari tabled a cache of documents elucidating when and how much he paid to this end.
These include an invitation for bids advert that ran in Daily Monitor of January 18, 2007 under reference number (PU/URC/NCA/HSE-07/01) and a March 1, 2007 acceptance letter which was authored by the then PU Director David Sebabi.
“I was informed that my bid was the best evaluated for the properties; Plot 78 Chorley Crescent, Port Bell at Shs 137,000,000. Plot 72 Chorley Crescent, Port Bell at Shs 131,000,000. Plot 74 Chorley Crescent, Port Bell at Shs 131,000,000. Plot No 872 Kyadondo, Block 264 Mutundwe at Shs 91, 000, 000,” he disclosed.
“When you are bidding, you would pay 10% of your bid price. And the moment they communicate back to you saying you are the best evaluated bidder, then it means you have paid 10% waiting to pay the balance as they give you the title. So in this case, I consolidate all the 10% I had deposited there. My 10% came to Shs 160,900,000. So the difference is 169 million and the total amounted to Shs 367 million,” Rukaari further elaborated.
Whereas he had originally planned to purchase four plots, Rukaari told MPs that his efforts suffered a hit in 2007 following the Government’s decision to halt the sale of URCs non-core assets.
By the time the order was reversed in 2009, Rukaari said he was financially incapacitated and could only afford three pieces of land.
“Up to the time the exercise was resumed, I could only raise funds for three properties and I declined Plot no 872 Kyadondo Block 264 at Sh 91,000,000 as evidenced by the Director of the Privatization Unit in a letter dated 3rd September 2009, a copy of which is attached for your analysis,” he submitted.
MPs take
However, Rukaari appeared uneasy when Joel Ssenyonyi (Nakawa West) tasked him to show proof that the bid security was indeed paid.
“You gave us a receipt for the Shs 116 million and the Shs 80 million. I asked for the 160 million receipt which you paid as the deposit and you said you don’t have the receipt and presented the acceptance letter. But I am saying this letter here cannot act as a receipt because it does not indicate that you paid Shs 160, 900, 000,” Ssenyonyi said.
“I am a procurement professional and I know the requirements of procurement very well. When you are bidding, you pay a banker’s draft, put it in a bid and attach. At most they register you in a book as a bidder and it will be the PU that confirms whether their communication came with the 10% but me as a bidder, I put in the bankers draft. The only thing maybe I would have done is to keep a copy,” Rukaari fired back.
A bank draft is a negotiable instrument where payment is guaranteed by the issuing bank.
The Committee Chairperson Ssenyonyi has since directed Rukaari to avail exculpatory evidence including bank receipts by Monday next week.
source https://perilofafrica.com/2021/11/mbarara-north-mp-rukaari-denies-grabbing-railway-land.html