Justice Steven Kavuma of Court of Appeal has issued an interim order restraining Parliament and any other citizen from investigating or inquiring about the oil cash bonanza shared out among the top government bureaucrats.
A one Eric Sabiti petitioned Court of Appeal seeking to stop any discussion on the share loot.
“An interim order is hereby issued restraining Parliament, any person or authority from investigating, questioning or inquiring into the impugned bonus payment sand or staying all proceedings of whatever mature. If any, which may be pending before any forum whatsoever arising from the impugned payments, until the main applicant No 06 of 2017 has been heard and determined”. Reads Kavuma’s order.
He added “The registrar of this Court is directed to ensure that all pretrial steps are taken in good time and fix hearing of the main application and the constitutional petition without delay in the next convenient session. The costs of this application and the constitutional application No6 of 2017”
Parliament was due to start debating the oil cash bonanza tomorrow.
Last week parliament said it was to investigate circumstances under which over 30 senior government officials shared Shs6 billion, part of the US $434 million ‘saved’ following the conclusion of litigation involving the Uganda government and two oil prospecting companies.
According Parliament’s Director of Information and Public Affairs, Chris Obore, MPs, upon return from the recess, will investigate the ‘oil cash bonanza’ and the Shs67 billion Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) money that was illegally wired to China by Chinese constructors and yet the money was meant for compensating land owners.
“Nobody will derail parliament from inquiring into the “handshake “. The Speaker is the boss of the House. She is a lawyer of repute capable of making sound decisions. She will guide the MPs tomorrow. It’s the duty of parliament to do oversight on government and the matter is of public interest”.
Uganda government won an oil case against Heritage Oil Company in London and US $700 million was paid to government coffers.
However, upon winning the case, civil servants involved in the case awarded themselves Shs6 billion, a matter that has caused a public outcry given that some key services in the country are wanting.
