Defense Team Seeks More Time to Face UPDF Jet Ranger Probe

The Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs has requested for more time to respond to a summons by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer to audit queries related to the Jet Ranger Helicopter which crashed in Bulo last month.

A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament was due to meet the Ministry team today, to respond to queries related to the procurement of spare parts for the Uganda People's Defense Forces - UPDF jet Ranger.

The aircraft crashed during a training mission in Bulo, Gomba district killing two people; Major. Naomi Karungi, a UPDF helicopter pilot and a cadet pilot Benon Wakalo.

The Public Accounts Committee of Parliament is now investigating if the irregularities in the procurement of the spare parts of the Aircraft is linked to the accident.

The committee is expected to probe the supply of Jet Ranger Spare parts by YAMASEC security limited at a sum of USD 479,000 (1.7 billion Shillings) with no proof of delivery and without a committee report. Yamasec is a Ugandan company that specializes in designing, installing, servicing and monitoring, technology-driven security and fire safety solutions.

Now the Defense Ministry has said that they are currently engaged with Tarehe Sita celebrations and could not appear before the committee on Wednesday as scheduled. This is according to a letter authored by Edith Buturo, the Accounting officer of the Ministry of Defense. Tarehe Sita activities will stretch up to the second week of February.

“All key respondents including myself are part of these activities. The Purpose of this letter is to request you to reschedule the meeting of Wednesday, February 5 to Tuesday, February 11, 2020, to enable us to fulfil both obligations,”  Buturo said.

The committee is also meant to probe fuel supply by Hared Petroleum limited that was not acknowledged by the receiving committee in reference to Jet A unleaded fuel and Aviation gas worth 10.9 billion Shillings.