IN MORE TROUBLE! IGG Continues Investigations into Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO)
Hon Minister Betty Namisango Kamya, the Inspector General of Government
The Inspector General of Government IGG has again informed Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) that it shall continue carrying on investigations against Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO) involving several projects around the country.
The controversial Chinese Uganda-based construction company is under investigation on a string of corruption cases by the IGG.
On 22 September 2022 Beti Kamya Turwomwe, the IGG wrote to the executive director of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) about the investigations of the Hoima – Butiaba -Wanmeko road project involving Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO).
It emphasized that on 7th June 2022, the IGG issued a directive that was meant to be put in force by UNRA to halt its dealing and participation of CICO in other projects until the conclusion of various corruption investigations. however in the meantime, CICO, a company that was also involved in the famous corruption scandal of Katosi Road Project in Mukono that involved Eng Byadanla then Minister of Lands dragged the IGG to court to seek orders to halt the IGG directive stopping its participation in various road projects.
Nevertheless, the IGG has again informed UNRA that it shall continue carrying on investigations against corruption sick CICO according to his letter.
‘’ I further inform you that the inspectorate of government shall continue with investigations, and should there be any need for further directives/orders by this office, they will be made as investigations progress’’. Reads in part the IGG’s letter.
According to sources, the whistle blower petitioned the IGG over corruption practices at CICO and on the 7th of September, the country director Wang Yabo wrote to the IGG requesting a meeting in order to reach an amicable settlement.
However, this meeting was not granted according to sources at the IGG’s Office.
On the same note, the CICO court case against the IGG and government seeking to halt investigations into its company saw success in interim orders granted that CiCO can continue working on several projects.
A consent judgment decree was penned by both parties although this has not stopped the IGG from carrying out more investigations on what whistle bowlers have referred to as corruption sticking CICO
An effort to get CICO for a comment on this saga was futile by press time.
Series of corruption cases against CICO has since increased at the IGG which received a series of whistles blowers!
This year the IGG came out with a proposal when it promised to pay UGX 50 Million to whistlers blowers in case the IGG recovers 1 billion UGX.
In a meeting held this week on Thursday among the IGG top officials, it resolved that serious auditor investigation be carried out on various road projects across the country involving CICO among other companies.
CICO is a Chinese construction and engineering company registered in Uganda but was found guilty of corruption and fraud by African Development Bank investigators.
It should be remembered that an investigation conducted by the AfDB’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption recently established that CICO overstated both the scope and the value of contracts it had supposedly completed in the past.
“It is the duty of the African Development Bank to ensure that the funds it receives from donors are used exclusively to further the socio-economic development of the institution’s regional member countries. CICO will therefore remain debarred until the bank is assured that it is not putting funds at risk by doing business with this company”, explained Bubacarr Sankareh, acting director of the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the AfDB.
The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the AfDB is responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of corruption, fraud and other sanctionable practices in the bank’s financed operations.
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