Britain has joined Ireland in suspending aid to the Office of the Prime Minister over sh16.2b fraud.
A Department for International Development spokesman said: "We take these allegations extremely seriously and have already suspended UK aid to the Office of the Ugandan Prime Minister. We have set up an independent audit to investigate alleged fraud."
A DfID source said: "Aid to the office of the Prime Minister is entirely separate from our general budget support to the Ugandan government. If money has been misused, we will expect immediate repayment and will take all necessary action to protect our funds," a UK newspaper, the Daily Mail has reported.
The Irish Government on Monday told Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi that it wants the misappropriated funds to be repaid.
Irish ambassador Anne Webster made it clear the Irish Government expects the funds to be repaid. Webster and other ambassadors met the Prime Minister in the capital Kampala.
Irish Ambassador Anne Webster and her counterparts from the other countries affected by the €12m fraud met the Ugandan government.
"We regret that this happened. As a country and Government, we are sorry it happened. It was obviously a criminal act. The theft was massive. We regret. It is a pity," Premier Mbabazi said.
Mbabazi said the money that was stolen included that from donors and the Ugandan tax payer "Ugandans are as angry as the citizens of the development partners," Mbabazi said.
"We condemn that act in the strongest terms and want to assure everyone that all the necessary measures to bring those responsible to book will be carried out."
Mbabazi said OPM permanent secretary; Pius Bigirimana had not been interdicted because he was required to answer some audit queries and that their decision would depend on his answers.
The chairperson of the greater North Parliamentary Forum Felix Okot Ogong has said that all public officials who were responsible for the loss of funds meant for Northern Uganda should be made to pay for them.
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" I AM SURE MOST AFRICANS DO NOT BELIVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHINGNEW?? THIS HAS BEEN A METHOD OF INSUREING THAT UGANDANS WERE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR ; FOR YEARS THIS HAS BEEN THE METHODOLOGY. "WHEN WE HEAR THE OUT BURST FROM WESTERN GOVERNMENTS 'THEY ARE BEING PRETENTIOUS AND DISHONEST. WHAT WAS THE SO CALLED ARAB SPRING ABOUT"? THE MANY PAYMENTS TO BEN ALI BY THE FRENCH WITCH WAS SAID TO BE AID BUT WAS BRIBE MONEY AS WAS THE PAYMENTS TO MUBRAK BY AMERICANS AND MANY MORE LEADERS WHO ACCEPT THESE PAYMENTS. THEY ARE USED AS BRIBE an HUSH MONEY A WAY TO CONTIUE CRONYISM MAnipulating the democratic procces THEY PAY THESE FUNDS TO GREASE THE WHEELS OF THE GOVERNMENTS ,SO THEY THE WEST CAN SKATE BY EFFECTIVELY OWNING THE GOVERNMENST THEY BUY .GETTING CHEAP AND FERTILE LANDS THEY CAN GET DEALS WITH GAS OIL ETC METALS ORES THESE ARE THE METHODS THAT ARE USED TO DSIENFARNCHISE THE PEOPLE OF THIER RESOURCES". THE WEST IS JUST AS BAD THIS HAS BEEN THIER WAY OF MANIPULATING GETTING CHEAP GOODS CHEAP LABOUR AND AIGNORANT PEOPLE, THE WEST HAS BEEN CONSPIRATORIAL LOOSE MORALS IGNOBLE UNPRINCIPLED IDEALS OF WORTHLESS PATRONAGE . THIS IS WHAT IS MEANT BY WESTERN DEMOCRACY CORRUPTION AT ITS BEST. BY BLOWING UP UGANDA THEY TAKE AND DEFLECT CRITISISM OF THEMSELGVES. WE MUST NOT FORGIVE POUR LEADERS BUT WE MUST ALSO REMIND OURSELVES THAT THEY THE WEST CAN NOT TALK ABOUT CORRUPTION AS WE WATCH THEM FALLING APART LIEING DECEIVING PILLAGING PLUNDEING WORLD ECONOMIES THE CORRUPTION BEING WITNESED IN WESTERN ECONOMIES IS BEYOND DESCRIPTION ITS VAST ITS DEVASTATING"THEY ARE THE FATHERS OF CORRUPTION LIES DECEIT DISHONESTY PLAGIARIMS DEFRAUDING PLUNDER PIRACY THEY HAVE NO CONTEST WHEN IT COMES TO THESE THINGS!!!!!. THE WEST THE FEIGNERS THE PRETENDERS THEY ARE LIKE THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF!! "CRETAINLY THE MONEY THAT WAS SENT WAS NOT FOR THE PURPOSES OF NATION BUILDING??? THAT IS NOT SO!!; ' WHAT HAS HAPPNED THE AFRICANS HAD GOTTEN SO USED TO IT THAT THEY FORGOT COMPLETELY ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY LIVE WITH, WHO VOTES OR ARE COERCED TO VOTING FOR THEM. AFRICA MUST STAY WIDE AWAKE AND FOCUSED ; THE WEST IS BROKE YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN YOU NEED TO START THINKING AND ALL THOSE WHO BOUGHT DEGREES ITS TIME EITHER TO BACK GO TO SCHOOL AND ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLLEDGE OR STEP BACK. AFRICA NEEDS INVESTMENTS THAT WILL AFFECT THE PEOPLE SOLELY WHEN PEOPLE ARE PUT TO WORK WHEN THE EDUCATIONAL ABILITY SKILLS OF THE NATIONS ARE ENHANCED ,TO CAPABILITIES TO DEAL WITH ANY TECHNOLOG ANY CRAFT. THE ARAB SPRING HAS DESTROYED THE ESPIONAGE TREASON THAT MOST AFRICAN LEADERS WERE AKIN TO ,PRE AFRICAN SPRING!!!! PEOPLE ARE ALIVE IN AFRICA ,THEY WANT TO FIND THE METHODS THAT WILL RBING PROSPERITY TO THIER NATIONS WITH THE RESPOURCES THAT THEY ARE CLAMINMG!!!. I NOTICE SINCE THE DEATH OF GADAFFI MANY AFRICAN LEADERS HAS SLIPPED IN TO THIS COMORT ZONE WHERE THEY THINK THEY CAN ALL GET FREE MONEY WITH OUT THE PEOPLE BEING PART OF THE PROCESS AND THE PEOPLE BEING AGAIN DESINFRANCHISED BY CHICANNERY AND SUBTERFUGE!!!!!!. THE WEALTH OF AFRICA NEEDS TO BE EXPLOITED BY AFRICANS. THE NEED TO SIT DOWN WITH A INTELLECTUAL, SENSIBLE ,UNIFIED, AFRICAN UNION' TO START WITH FOOD SECURITY FOR THE ENITRE CONTINENT AND THEN FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR THE ENITRE CONTINENT THEN MILITARY SECURITY FOR THE ENTIRE CONTINENT"!!!!. AFRICANS NEED TO SIGHT THAT THIS IS THE 21st CENTURY!!!!!! WAKE UP TIME!!!!!! !INTEGRITY WINS ALL THE TIME1 YOU DONT BECOME EMBARASSED, YOU DONT HAVE TO HIDE, 'THERE IS AN OPEN BOOK WHERE EVERYONE CAN READ ;'NO SECRETS !!? GIVES MAN POWERS UNIMAGINED!!!!! WHY YOU THINK MUGABE HAS BEEN SO LONG IN POWER BECUASE HE IS NOT A FRAUDSTER HE HAS INTEGRITY AND NO MAN CAN BACK STAB HIM, NO MAN HAS SECRTES OVER HIM, HE IS NOT ACCPETING BRIBES, DESCRIBED AS AID!!!!! WE MIGHT DISAGREE ABOUT HIS LONGEVCITY IN OFFICE WE CAN NOT ABOUT HIS INTEGRITY!!!!!!!!!!!
It is not enough to stop aid to the office of the prime minister! These foreign governments can actually help in combatting the thefts in these departments; for example, many Ugadans have huge bank accounts and/ or have acquired properties in those respective countries using proceeds from these shennanigans. These accounts/properties should be invetigated properly and if posssible the assets frozen until proved otherwise.