405 BDE 10- CAPT BM SIFUNA
Ghost balances from payments:
Qn: Who takes the ghost money balances and how many ghosts are in Bns (battalions) of ASTU (anti-stock theft unit) and 405 Bde (brigade)?
Sifuna: For ghosts under ASTU when food delays, they desert to their homes. When money comes, they return. Then commanders chase them for not being around, thus creating room for ghosts.
Under the former AC Maj. Gen Kazini, every unit would deduct money for 200 LDUs and it would be taken to ASTU commander Lt. Col. Oula. The new ASTU commandant Lt. Col. Mulindwa is not aware of this scheme but Capt Odong, Admin ASTU, could be going on with it. I need to investigate this further.
In Yankee Bn the CO, Maj Wilit and OPTO Capt. Katabarwa when salaries were brought towards the end of August 03, they failed to agree on how to share the 138 LDU ghost money. Wilit gave Katabarwa 150,0007= only and Katabarwa refused the money. Wilit chased him from the unit claiming he wanted Lt. Byaruhanga, former OPTO of Yankee. The ASTU Commandant made some transfers and Yankee got a new OPTO and Katabarwa was transferred to another battalion.
Qn: What is the quantum of ghosts in ASTU?
Sifuna: 10s of Bns gave me the information of the 200 LDU deductions per month. The Adjutant Sierra Bn Lt. Bedria also gave me information on deductions; that LDUs had no guns so they gave the unit less money. He could testify if called upon. Sgt Magidu, the 10 Zulu Bn could also testify on the 200 deduction per unit.
Qn: How about 405 Bde ghosts?
Sifuna: ...The COs are: 61 Bn CO Maj Agong; 63Bn CO Maj. Topher Magino, 67 Bn CO Capt Kiryowa. These units have had a pay team since June 02 constituted by Bde CO Lt Col Kiyingi.The balances are kept by the Bde CO.
In July 02, the Bde CO gave 1.5m/= to the Div CO Col Sula Semakula from the balances.
In August 02 he gave 1m/= to the Div CO and the driver of Div CO collected the 1m/= from me.
(iv) The OSH KIA (killed in action) and MIA (missing in action), which remained concealed.
During the Kisangani clashes between 1999 and 2000 a number of soldiers were killed or went missing in action. Evidence received by the Committee indicated that those soldiers were never declared, and were kept on the strength of those units. And that their salaries continue to be remitted.
MAJ GEN KAZINI
Qn: Were the soldiers who died in Kisangani declared, so that they are struck off?
Kazini: Those of Kisangani, it took us a little bit of time to know them because of the nature of how we were operating, but later on we got the names and we submitted them to the CPA to make their claims. To claim for their money because we have been calling them missing in action for a long time...
Q: Salary?
Kazini: Salary.
Qn: Meanwhile they were being called missing in action, was their salary being released?
Kazini: Yes. It was being released and kept with the CPA.
Qn: The money for all these years is with the CPA?
Kazini: Yes...by the time I left, the money was already in a draft form waiting for their parents or next of kin to inform them that their sons died here and come for the money.
Qn: So what happened to that money now?
Kazini: I left it in a draft form with CPA and DF (director of finance).
Qn: How much was it?
Kazini: It was about one billion.
CPA - COL KODILI
Qn: Address the Committee on killed in action (KIA) and missing in action (MIA) in DRC operations and whether those occurrences were declared to GHQs and if not, what is the situation now?
Kodili: When the Kisangani clashes were ongoing, while we require that deaths be declared as and when they occur.... death declaration was suppressed. Kazini was the in-charge of operations, Maj. Mutengesa (the then DOR-director of records) wanted to print the names of KIA. Kazini directed the DOR that he should not publish the names.
Qn: Did salary for these people continue to come?
Kodili: Salary continued to come. The salary was going to units, the money remained in the hands of unit administrations, while
their families were in Kakiri.
Qn: What was the arrangement for maintenance of families of soldiers in DRC?
Kodili: It was up to the soldier to decide where his salary should go... In the case of KIA and MIA a good CO, adjutant and
paymaster would ensure that the salary is brought back. Some units were not doing so. Others were taking advantage, they used the money….
Kodili: As soon as Kazini became AC, towards the end of August 2001 he made a ruling and said that to lay the matter of KIA and MIA to rest, let there be a once and for all payment to all families of the fallen ones, so that they go home to await survivor benefits, and salary stops coming. The AC said that I should get the names of KIA and MIA from the DOR so that we make a payment to their families for four months, that is, September October, November and December 2001. I assembled the names.
Qn: When did you complete the task?
Kodili: It came out on 21 February 2002. It is from DOR to CPA. The CPA and DOR failed to avail the Committee proof that the OSH KIA and MIA were SOS. For instance the COS had this to say:
COS - BRIG LAKARA
It took a long time to establish how many soldiers were lost in Kisangani I, II and III and even generally in OSH. It is even not clear where the records for these units were. It was difficult to know which units lost who. So this information was concealed so that CPA can quietly establish really how many. Today it is coming to ... or not less than ..., KIA and MIA of Kisangani I, II, and III alone.
Once the number was established the decision was reached that they should be kept on nominal rolls under CPA for a period of 4 months. Then access the money after summoning the next of kin of these comrades and announcing to them the death of their dear ones.
Immediately I got the list from CPA I directed that VEREX should include them on the payable strength under CPA.
Indeed if you look at the strength of CPA of the time, an increase of strength is noticeable.
Qn: What happened?
Ans: I actually asked CPA when the next of kin would be informed and the money accessed. CPA answered that he did not know because he had not accessed the money. I then asked how that can be possible since the time the decision was taken, and since the strength was reflected on his payable strength of the nominal roll. But CPA said that the money was never released. But how is it possible when it is the summary strength which was sent to DF for payment which formed the basis of release of salaries and the CPA strength included those names. CPA still said money was not released, then he said that having failed to access money monthly, waiting for it in a block form must have led PS not to honour it.
The COS’s evidence on the strength summary for CPA indeed reflected this added strength for September, October, November and December 2002.
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written by Mujjuni, November 28, 2009
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