By: URN
The Inspectorate of Government is investigating Godfrey Bangirana, the police director of engineering and logistics for alleged financial impropriety.
Bangirana is accused of misappropriating more than Shs 100 billion. The spokesperson of the Inspectorate of Government, Munira Ali has confirmed the ongoing investigations.
“It is true we are investigating the directorate of logistics but that is all I can say,” Munira told URN.
The investigations, which commenced about a month ago, stem from inflated procurement costs on the implementation of police projects. The projects being queried include the construction of Natete police station and the repair of an old police chopper.
According to a source in the Office of Inspectorate of Government, Bangirana together with other officers in the directorate of engineering and logistics used more than Shs 100 billion to construct Natete police station, whose ideal price shouldn’t have exceeded Shs 10 billion.
While the total construction of the station was estimated to cost Shs 7.8 billion, by the completion of the construction, police instead spent more than Shs 100 billion. Bangirana who is at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) also reportedly paid Yamasec Limited more than Shs 10 billion to repair a scrap helicopter.
The seven-seater Bell 206B American helicopter was grounded in 2002. The helicopter was purchased in 1986 shortly after President Yoweri Museveni took power. The helicopter was then handed over to Yamasec in 2016, which returned it to the police leadership on May 31, 2018 after repairs. However, even at the official handover ceremony, the helicopter had trouble taking off.
The helicopter is said to have been grounded after flying only twice despite the Shs 10 billion police spent to repair it.
This is not the first time Bangirana is coming under the spotlight for alleged financial impropriety. Before the former Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura was dropped. he’d instituted investigations into the operations of the engineering and logistics directorate and human resource administration.
Kayihura was fired and replaced by Martin Okoth Ochola before the investigations could take shape, which saw the inquiries die a natural death.