According to the report made by the internal auditor at Soroti University ,James Odongo over 513 million shillings was paid to M/S Okurut & Company Advocates between the months of April to June 2018.
In the report, Odongo states that M/S Okurut & Company Advocates was contracted on retainer fee of 15 million shillings per month.
“This is nugatory and illegal expenditure and unwarranted, leading to over expenditure and diversion of public funds,” the report read.
The advocate company still received an amount sum of 61 and 277 million shillings respectively on 22 June 2018 and another 58 million shillings on the 5 July 2018.
Ruth Achimo, the accounting officer, paid herself 172 million shillings compensation over her interdiction by the university council over alleged abuse of office through M/S Alliance Advocates.
An associate at Okurut & Company Advocates, Daniel Okalebo, told Uganda Radio network that the retainer which the internal auditor raises in the report, does not involve the litigation costs save for legal advice towards the university.
“We have had a number of cases in which we have represented the university in which land is involved, and looking at the sum for the university it’s more than 30 billion shillings, “Okalebo explained, adding that the retainer agreement does not cover the litigation cases.
Soroti University was stopped from opening this academic year by the National Council for Higher Education-NCHE due to lack of minumum requirements for university operations.