Unveiling Corruption: Trade Minister Suspends UNBS Boss over Shs 100M Bribery Scheme

The Trade Minister Minister of Trade, Francis Mwebesa has taken decisive action against the head of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) David Ebiru as he suspended him for six months to pave way for investigations into 100M bribe allegations related to a lucrative contract deal.
Yesterday appearing before CASASE, a Parliamentary Committee when he learnt that Ebiru was still in office despite his sacking in June. He pledged to write another letter. The Minister confirmed Ebiru’s sacking on his return to the Committee on Friday.

Meanwhile, Ebiru has withdrawn his statement earlier made before Parliament that he bribed the Board with Shs100M for extension of his contract, saying the remarks were made out of anger and high animosity between him and the Board.
“I wish to formally submit to withdraw that statement because I took note that it offended many people & it was quoted out of context. So the issue of offering my chairman Shs100M for protection as reported, I want to withdraw it formally, because I know it was recorded but I want to confirm that it was out of the environment we were operating in, high tempers, high animosity so it was really not intended to harm anybody,” said Ebiru.

During the probe, Ebiru’s junior, the Principal Meteorologist at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, John Kiwanuka collapsed and was taken to the clinic at Parliament. He was being grilled on queries under his department.

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Chairperson COSASE, Joel Ssenyonyi asked Ebiru to comply with the suspension, so as to allow smooth flow of business at UNBS, as any interference may affect the Bureau’s mandate of ensuring minimum standards of good Ugandans consume.

“You people are in charge of quality control of the commodities we consume. So, when you seem not to be orderly & there is all this chaos, we are thinking, what standards are you keeping? We get worried about what we consume. Because ultimately, it could harm us, so sort out your house, that is the bottom line,” he said.

 In a related development, the chairperson of the Committee, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, also handed over Mr Steven Wabusani to Parliament’s Police to record a statement after it emerged that the official was holding three positions at the Ministry of Trade.

 It shpuld be noted that Mr Wabusani is serving as Senior Commercial Officer at the Ministry of Trade, Personal Assistant to Minister Mwebesa as well as technical advisor to the minister.