MPs on Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) on Thursday continued to quiz for Bank of Uganda executive director for bank supervision Ms Justine Bagyenda and other officials over missing documents relating to the sale of seven commercial banks.
On Wednesday Ms Bagyenda when asked by the MPs denied she ever took out any documents related to the sale of banks from BoU offices even as CCTV cameras captured her aides carrying bags out of the bank into her vehicle sometime in March 2018. They also captured the trio entering the bank with bags carrying items inside.
Bagyenda said the bags had photos and personal documents related to her private engagements.
The MPs, including Abdu Katuntu who is the Cosase Chairman and MPs Beatrice Anywa, Elijah Okupa were on Thursday perturbed that Bagyenda did not give clear answers to their questions relating to the loss of documents. Bagyenda is said to have passed the BoU gate without being searched by security officers on duty as required by the central bank’s security guidelines.
Two BoU security assistants were charged and remanded to Luzira Prison on charges of neglect of duty. They included Beatrice Kyambadde and Charles Moro for allegedly failing to detect the illegal removal of and return of vital documents from the bank premise.
The two alleged they were intimated by Bagyenda’s body guard Ms Juliet Adikot (bodyguard) and her driver Mr. Job Turyahabwe. The two aides in early December were handed over to the CID after they gave contradicting testimonies to the committee in relation to Ms Bagyenda’s movements on February 10, the day three bags were returned to the central bank.
When asked on Thursday what the contents in the bags were, Ms Adikot told MPs she didn’t know, stating that she didn’t take keen interest in the materials. MP Anywa never liked Ms Adikot’s response.
Katuntu said the MPs are interested in the security matters of BoU because lack of records such as minutes of meetings of bank liquidation, valuation reports of sale banks like Greenland Bank, International Credit Bank and Cooperative Bank and others.
Director of Security at BoU Milton Opio told MPs that Bagyenda should tell where the missing documents are since she evaded security check at the premises. Katuntu has ordered Opio to bring unedited footages of Bagyenda’s movements at BoU to ascertain what really happened.
Bagyenda played an important role in the sale of Global Trust Bank and Crane Bank Limited (CBL) which were bought off by DFCU Bank where BoU staff have 0.59 stake as shareholders.