Military holds 100 paymasters at Bombo
By David Kibirige
Jan 1, 2004
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KAMPALA - bout 103 paymasters are being held at Bombo army headquarters. The paymasters are lined up to face Lt. Gen. David Tinyefuza's committee, which is investigating the ghost soldier scam haunting the military. The paymasters were summoned to Bombo over the Christmas break. They are to answer several queries concerning the existence of ghosts on the army's nominal payroll. Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza confirmed yesterday that the paymasters are being held at Bombo. "I can confirm that they were summoned at Bombo and they have to face Lt. Gen. Tinyefuza's probe committee to answer questions of ghost soldiers on the payrolls. Some of them connived with some officers to have the ghosts," Bantariza said. Army sources told The Monitor that 28 senior officers are prime suspects. About 4,000 ghost soldiers were recently found to hold accounts in several Kampala banks. This prompted the High Command to hold back the December pay cheque for soldiers until each one of them gets a personal file with his or her photograph. Apparently, accounts for non-existent soldiers were being opened with forged particulars, including similar pictures appearing on different accounts. Capt. Badru Kiggwe, the most senior paymaster, is accused of having connived with a brigadier, now on forced leave, to include hundreds of ghosts on the payroll. The Tinyefuza committee, sources say, gets down to serious work on January 5. Several senior officers are set to appear. The former Army Commander, Maj. Gen. James Kazini, appeared on Sunday. He was allowed to complete his officer course in Abuja, Nigeria, while investigations here continue. Tinyefuza's extended investigation into ghost soldier-related corruption comes close on the heels of an earlier one chaired by Defence minister Amama Mbabazi. The Mbabazi committee tended to implicate Kazini in activities related to the creation of ghosts and other forms of indiscipline in the UPDF, according to Tinyefuza's statement on Tuesday. Last month Lt. Gen. Museveni suspended several officers after the Mbabazi committee unearthed thousands of ghosts on the payroll. |
� 2003 The Monitor Publications
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