Justice Ministry and ODPP Put on the Spot Over Unauthorised Shs41 Billion Diversion

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs alongside the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) have come under intense scrutiny following revelations that they diverted Shs41.6 billion to unapproved activities.

While presenting a report to Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) stated that the expenditure violated the Public Finance Management Act. Chaired by Kassanda North MP Patrick Nsamba, the committee noted that the funds were redirected without proper approval from the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

According to the findings, the ODPP spent Shs900 million on constructing Resident State Attorney offices in Katakwi and Yumbe outside its approved framework. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice diverted a staggering Shs40.7 billion, largely going towards court awards and compensation claims. Nsamba emphasized that achieving savings on a specific budget line does not grant entities the authority to finance outside tasks without clearance.

Beyond budget diversions, the committee raised concerns regarding persistent staffing gaps within the ODPP, where only 600 out of 1,704 approved positions are filled. Investigators also flagged procurement irregularities, including works worth Shs457.68 million for the Yumbe office executed outside the official electronic government procurement system.

Further scrutiny was directed at the non-functional Prosecution Case Management Information System (PROCAMIS). Despite consuming Shs42 billion since 2017, critical deliverables remain missing. The committee revealed that Shs2.95 billion was paid to M/s Graphics Systems for maintenance without critical integration features or a disaster recovery facility being delivered.

To address these governance gaps, lawmakers recommended enforcing strict contract liability clauses, recovering misused funds, and developing a comprehensive litigation management strategy to curb the rising contingent liabilities facing government entities.

For more details on this parliamentary review, read the original report on Parliament of Uganda.