The Committee for Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Agencies (COSASE) that is investigating the 6bn ‘handshake’ has been given an extra month to finalise its work.
In January this year, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga constituted the committee and directed chairperson, Bugweri County Member of Parliament (MP) Abdu Katuntu, to investigate the matter that involved 37 public officials who shared Shs6 billion, and report the findings to Parliament in two months.
The money was drawn from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), whose Commissioner General Doris Akol was also named among the beneficiaries, most of who got over Shs50 million. Other prominent beneficiaries included former URA CG Allen Kagina, KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi, Finance PS Keith Muhakanizi, former Attorney General Peter Nyombi, and Solicitor General Francis Atoke.
The money that they shared out accrued from a legal challenge in which the government of Uganda sued two oil companies, Heritage Gas and Oil and Tullow Oil, and won US$700 million in compensation through international arbitration.
In the ensuing period the URA said that the ‘handshake’ followed standard procedure including approval by President Yoweri Museveni.
