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The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade Geraldine Ssali has found it hard to convince the Parliamentary Trade committee on how an office messenger obtained access to the procurement system of the ministry.
It was found out that one Tom Opio, an office messenger, had a password to the procurement system of the ministry and could transact procurement tasks on behalf of the ministry outside his mandates.
The committee chaired by Mbarara city south MP Mwine Mpaka further established that Opio since 2021 has been involved in all procurement processes and his activities were suspected to be dubious and of corruption motives which eventually led the committee to invite DPP and police CID to investigate Opio’s intentions.
However, in reply PS Ssali informed the committee that though Opio was appointed as an office Messenger but was a qualified Procurement officer with a degree from Makerere University.
She further said that a request was put before the Ministry of finance to upgrade Opio to a procurement officer after a training that was conducted by both M.oT and M.o.F.