Drama ensued this morning when officials from China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, Naguru left members of the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in shock when they submitted two different documents in response to queries raised by the Auditor General, John Muwanga.
The delegation led by Dr Emmanuel Batibwe, the Hospital Director was appearing before PAC to answer to audit queries raised in the Auditor General’s reports for financial years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.
The officials include; Regina Mugisa, the Hospital’s Principal Administrator, Jacqueline Sandra Ongom, the hospital Principal Human Resource Officer, Siraj Isabirye, the Hospital Head of Accounts and Yonas Oboth the Hospital Administrator.
Drama started when PAC Vice Chairperson Okin P.P Ojara noted that his committee had received two different statements of Accounts from the hospital in regard to the queries and signed by different people.
The Chairman sought guidance from Batibwe on which document to follow since one had been signed by him and another by the former Hospital Accounting Officer Regina Mugisa, currently the Principal Administrator of the facility.
This prompted Batibwe who looked confused, to request the committee to consider the document signed by him. It was at this moment that Mugisa also acknowledged having signed one of the documents before handing over office to Batibwe two years ago.
Kalungu West MP Joseph Sewungu now pinned the hospital officials for trying to mislead the committee, saying that the hospital was last year required to avail the committee their statement of accounts but failed.
However, Siraje Isabirye, the Hospital Head of Accounts told the committee that the document signed by Mugisa was a draft document and that the one signed by Dr Batibwe is the authentic one. This was also rubbished by PAC Vice Chairperson Okin Ojara who said that a draft can never be signed and that his committee does not accept such a response.
Ojara ruled that the hospital management provides an explanation to the committee about the different statements of accounts for the financial year 2016/2017 on Tuesday afternoon and also provide the final document if any.
