Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga has tasked the Opposition MPs implicated in the embezzlement of the Shs164Bn Cooperatives money should be sorted out by the law, because corruption when committed is done by an individual not as an institution.
“If a member was mentioned in this report of cooperatives corruption, they should face the law. There is only one law in this land. And whoever is mentioned in the report they should face the law, if they have no obligation or question to answer, the law will sort it out. Do you want me to write another report?” Mpuuga said.
Mpuuga made the remarks at a media engagement held to update the public on the performance of the Opposition, where he argued that he has no sympathies towards Opposition MPs implicated in this embezzlement, saying the actions these MPs did were done for their personal gains.
“I don’t have anything to sympathise with and these people should be able to face the law and those who have questions they must face them. Corruption is person to person, it isn’t institutional that somebody is doing it for the benefit of their community, so that and other reports of Parliament where individuals have been indicted, they should be able to face the law,” Mpuuga added.
Mpuuga also blamed the recent public uproar following the handover of posh cars to former Speakers on confusion in the law, and urged the Attorney General, Kiryowa Kiwanuka to issue legal interpretation, clarifying on whether individuals perceived to have retired from their former offices, but are drawing salaries from their current public offices like Rebecca kadaga and Edward Ssekandi are entitled to get these retirement packages.
“At what stage must one take the benefit of these perks? I think it is a question of interpreting the law. Can someone take a benefit when they still have the lien on the public purse? That is the question that the legal minds must break down. For instance, my friend Rebecca Kadaga, a former Speaker but still a Minister still has access to the public purse, and therefore she isn’t entirely retired. So is Ssekandi who is a former Vice President and former Speaker. The question is, if he is finally retired, what perks does he take, that of the former Speaker or former Vice president? And he is still a Presidential Advisor and therefore, he still has access to the public purse,” Mpuuga said
Mpuuga tasks Opposition MPs involved in Shs164Bn embezzlement to face law individually
