The former Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital Dr. Byarugaba Baterana is expected to re-appear in court today on charges of abuse of office and causing the government an over Shs7Bn loss in irregular and double payments to suppliers.
Dr Baterana and others are expected to re-appear before Anti-Corruption Court Grade One Magistrate Abert Asiimwe for a bail hearing.
The prosecution says the charges were committed during an eleven-year tenure of Dr. Byarugaba’s reign at Mulago Hospital.
These are said to have flouted payment procedures amounting to over Shs7Bn when they among other things irregularly processed payment of Sh3Bn to Setramaco International Limited purporting to be payment for the supply of consumables to be used in a routine servicing and repair of large size sterilization equipment of an alleged capacity of 1500 litres, which has never existed at the said hospital; an act that was prejudicial to the interests of their employer.
Some of the money was allegedly paid for the repair and service of sterilization equipment at old Mulago, Kirudu and Kawempe hospitals and the supply of consumables.
Dr. Byarugaba is jointly charged with nine others including the former Hospital Engineer and Head Engineering department Kataha Edward, Head of Accounts Nyeko Ponsiano and senior accountant Mwasa Charles.
Others are the former Senior Mulago Hospital administrator Wafula Kenneth, and senior procurement officers; Okware Christopher and Adah Kamucunguzi.
His other co-accused are the Directors and shareholders of Setramaco International Ltd Robert Wasike and Catherine Winfred Nabwire who allegedly used their company to invoice Mulago National Referral Hospital for payments of non-existent autoclaves (sterilization equipment) and other non-executed works.
The other accused persons who were absent in court on June 19th 2024 are also expected to appear in court today to answer the charges.
They are Nyeko Ponsiano, Charles Mwasa and Engineer Barenda Perezi.
The offences were allegedly committed between financial years 2015/ 2016, 2016 / 2017 and 2019 / 2020.
The prosecution contends that the officials had a reason to believe that such duplicate payments would cause a loss to Mulago National Referral Hospital.
