Pensions: Obey, Oloka rearrested

In Summary

Accountability. The duo, together with another Public Service official, are said to have pocketed billions of shillings in NSSF contributions from pension funds, money the pensioners are under no obligation to pay.

Detectives at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) on Friday re-arrested three of the key suspects in the ongoing investigations into the Shs250 billion pensions scam.

Mr Christopher Obey, the interdicted principal accountant (Pension), Mr David Oloka, the senior accountant in the Ministry of Public Service, and Mr Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa, the interdicted commissioner, await a formal charge in court today.

The fresh charges will arise from their role in a Shs88.2 billion scam under the NSSF contribution in the pension department.

The director of the CIID, Ms Grace Akullo, confirmed the re-arrest: “We have rearrested the officials to help shade light on the NSSF contribution funds that never reached NSSF.”

Mr Obey and Mr Oloka were re-arrested at the Kireka-based Special Investigations Unit (SIU) headquarters while extending their bond papers.

Mr Kunsa on the other hand, was re-arrested at the CIID headquarters in Kibuli, where he and another official had earlier been to have their bond extended.

Allegations
Mr Kunsa is alleged to have overseen the budgeting of the money under his department and also defended the money in Parliament.

The Auditor General, in his report, said the Shs88.2 billion NSSF contribution did not reach the NSSF account thus suspicion that the money was pocketed by some individual in Public Service.

The money was allegedly swindled in two financial years [2010/11 and 2011/12] in installments of Shs44.1 billion.

Unlawful
The Auditor General further indicates that pensioners are under no obligation to contribute to the Fund.
Police also interrogated two senior officials from the Public Service ministry in-charge of budgeting; Ms Margret Ojara, the undersecretary in-charge of Finance and Administration and Mr Joses Tegeza, the assistant commissioner, in-charge of policy and planning.

The two indicated in their statements that the NSSF contribution was generated by the pension department.