The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has mandated a forensic audit into the alleged Shs500M gorilla permit fraud at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
In a meeting between COSASE and UWA officials on Tuesday, chaired by Medard Lubega, the committee chairperson, the directive was issued in response to audit queries raised in the December 2023 Auditor General’s report.
Lubega emphasized the need for a forensic investigation alongside the audit ordered by the Minister, stating, “You know that is an audit ordered by the Minister and by standards when the Minister orders for an audit, that one goes to him. Now, we are also ordering for a forensic audit. We are also ordering a forensic investigation into the same affairs.”
The decision to conduct a forensic audit follows the Auditor General’s report, which highlighted UWA’s refusal to grant access to chimpanzee and gorilla booking data during the audit process. John Muwanga, the Auditor General, expressed concern that despite UWA’s reported revenue of Shs22.461Bn from Gorilla and Chimpanzee tracking in 2022/23, his requests for financial transaction data were denied.
Muwanga revealed that without access to crucial financial records such as invoices, payments, and reconciliation data, his ability to verify the accuracy of reported revenue is severely limited.
In response to these findings, COSASE has taken decisive action to ensure transparency and accountability within UWA operations. The directive for a forensic audit underscores the committee’s commitment to uncovering any fraudulent activities and ensuring proper stewardship of public funds within UWA.