Alebtong District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Alebtong District Chairman David Kennedy Odongo has filed a complaint with the Alebtong police station, alleging that the District CAO and procurement officers awarded a tender illegally at night.
Last month, Odongo halted the auditing of contracts awarded in the 2023/24 FY in Alebtong District, accusing the procurement unit’s civil servants of conducting the process without involving the audit committee.
He has lodged a case against District CAO Robert Abenaitwe and the procurement unit’s civil servants at the Alebtong police station, claiming that they displayed the list of contract awardees on the public notice board at night on Wednesday, which he deems unlawful.
Odongo believes this matter warrants a police investigation and subsequent legal action. He further accuses CAO Robert Abenaitwe of rushing to display the list of contract awardees upon learning that district leaders had sought the intervention of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to investigate various irregularities in the district.
In his statement on September 21, he highlighted “certain irregularities that violate key regulations outlined in the PPDA (Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets) Act.”
Five days later, CAO Abinaitwe contested Odongo’s actions, deeming them unlawful, and advised public servants to proceed as planned.
He stated, “I instructed them to continue, but he is once again issuing threats. Consequently, I plan to seek further guidance from the PPDA and the solicitor general.”
“I will also contact the minister to ascertain the legality of these actions.”
On Friday, Odongo, in a phone interview, indicated that he has escalated the matter to the Police and the IGG, advocating for an investigation into the entire team, including the CAO.
“I am seeking a comprehensive investigation because the contract award was unlawful and contravened the PPDA Act.”
Gilian Akullo, the Alebtong resident district commissioner responsible for district security, endorsed Odongo’s stance, stating that the information concerning these contract awards was not adequately shared with the chairman, and the decision seemed to be made by one individual. She emphasized the need for the Inspectorate of Government to intervene and investigate.
Attempts to contact Alebtong District CAO Robert Abenaitwe were unsuccessful as his phone was unreachable at the time of press.
