UNBS boss sent to CID over Shs100m bribe

The Executive Director of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) David Livingstone Ebiru was on Wednesday sent to the Parliamentary Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) for interrogation after confessing that he provided a bribe of Shs100 million to the Bureau board members.

He says the alleged bribe was aimed at preventing the termination of his contract after a report from the Inspector General of Government (IGG) recommended his sacking from the Bureau due to lack of qualifications and incompetence.

While appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Public Accounts, Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) chaired by Joel Ssenyonyi, Ebiru, revealed that he borrowed Shs100 million and handed it over to Mr. Robert Mwanje, one of the board members on behalf of the board chairperson, Charles Musekuura.

“I borrowed the 100 million shillings…he [Robert Mwanje] came to my office and picked it,” Ebiru told COSASE.

However, the board members denied receiving the money which prompted Ssenyonyi to direct CID officers to interrogate Ebiru further.

Meanwhile, Ebiru was faulted for failing to take action against the Bureau staff who allegedly received bribes of over Shs19 billion from traders to allow them import fake goods into the country.

Musekuura accused Ebiru of mismanaging Shs12.5 billion and causing a financial loss to the national standards body.

Written by Prossy Kisakye