House gives govt three days to act on Mutebile
Bank of Uganda Governor Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile
MPs yesterday voted to absolve President Museveni of any wrong-doing in the payment of Shs150 billion to businessmen Hassan Basajjabalaba and retired colonel Fred Mugenyi but gave the government three days to deal with the Bank of Uganda boss Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile.
The decision to defer the verdict on Mr Mutebile came after Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi pleaded for more time to enable the Cabinet sub-committee set up by the President and chaired by Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga first interact with the governor.
“This time there are no more extensions. You have three days and we finish this one,” Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said.
Parliament’s watchdog committee indicted Mr Mutebile for writing “letters of comfort” to four commercial banks that guaranteed Bank of Uganda to repay loan facilities taken by Mr Basajjabalaba’s Haba Group of Companies in expectation of his compensation from government.
The committee concluded that Mr Mutebile should be fired from office and be held personally responsible for loss of taxpayers’ money, a recommendation that presents President Museveni with some tough choices.
Mr Mbabazi said: “Nobody should assume that Cabinet will exonerate them, we want to give them the natural justice of the right to be heard.”
In a stormy session of the House intended to adopt the recommendations in the PAC report, the NRM party used its numerical strength to shoot down an amendment by the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mr Nandala Mafabi, that President Museveni takes political responsibility for his active role in the compensation process.
The President enjoys immunity under the 1995 Constitution.
Parliament adopted most of the PAC recommendations but voted to save the former Solicitor General, now Judge, Billy Kainamura, and acting Solicitor Harriet Lwabi.
Mr Mafabi said the two officials played their role by advising the Attorney General who chose to ignore it.
The recommendation to have them held liable and investigated was deleted from the records of Parliament.
Parliament unanimously agreed to have former ministers Syda Bbumba and Khiddu Makubuya be held personally responsible and investigated, days after the duo were relieved of their duty.
Parliament also re-affirmed that government recovers all money paid from Haba Group, including applicable taxes, in excess of what was determined by the Auditor General and the company be investigated for uttering forged documents.
By Sheila Naturinda & Yasiin Mugerwa, Daily Monitor
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