The chairperson of the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) who doubles as the MP for Bugweri County, Abdu Katuntu has refuted all allegations that he asked the Speaker of Parliament to extend committee’s tenure in office to finalize the issue at hand of investigating sale of seven defunct banks by Bank of Uganda.
In the recent reshuffles, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) dropped Katuntu and appointed Kawempe South MP, Mubarak Munyagwa as the chairperson, superintending all the activities of the committee.
Speaking before committee, Katuntu said it is not true that approached the Speaker seeking extension of term in office, to 20 February, 2019.
“Like any serious chairman, we have always briefed the Speaker on the progress of work as the committee, as the head of the institution, I briefed her because she required us to complete the investigations before the expiry of our term which was not possible as decided to write to LoP.” he said for the sake of being on record.
The deputy chairperson of the committee Anita Among said Speakers word is final and they always told the public that they will not go without coming to conclusion in the sale of the seven commercial banks starting from Teefe in 1994.
“They chased us away in October, I told you people that we were not going. They chased us away again in December and we are not going,” She said
In December last year the Speaker of petitioned the leader of opposition (LoP), Betty Aol Ochan asking her to extend committee’s term to conclude the probe into the sale of banks by bank of Uganda.
Ochan declined on grounds that the move contravenes with the parliamentary rule of procedure that allows the committee to stay of two and half years in office. The committee’s tenure was ending on January 13, 2019.
Opposition Chief Whip Semujju Nganda said they are engaged Munyagwa to allow the committee complete and write a report about their findings.
Last week, Munyagwa revealed that the speaker is trying to cover up something in the committee and the Bank of Uganda and threatened to expose every wrong doing.
“Is that the first investigation by the committee on bank of Uganda, where is the report compiled about the 350 pens that were bought at a cost of US $100 each by the bank of Uganda as they celebrated 50 years?,” He said.