KAMPALA- MPs under the African Parliamentary Network against corruption have presented three petitions pushing for the reappointment of sacked former Bank of Uganda director for supervision Justine Bagyenda as a board member of the powerful Financial Intelligence Authority to be rescinded or the line minister faces the wrath of the lawmakers.
Ms Bagyenda, whose re-appointment is a source of controversy after she was nominated by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija despite being under investigation over money laundering charges by the same authority was a no-show for vetting on Monday but a section of MPs including Manjiya County’s John Baptist Nambeshe and Kumi Municipality’s Silas Aogon have vowed to take on minister Kasaija over the matter.
“These petitions object in the strongest terms, the re-appointment or renewal of appointment of a one Justine Bagyenda,” said Nambeshe.
Nambeshe accused the Minister of Finance Kasaija of abetting impunity and vowed to mobilise lawmakers to take him on.
“We demand answers from the Ministry of Finance. Why on earth would he (Matia Kasaiija) again insist on maintaining the name of Justine Bagyenda … when he knows very well that, this is a woman who has a high level of moral turpitude (wickedness)?” wondered Nambeshe.
“She lacks in every aspect of all those fundamental character traits which are required for that office. The impeccable character is zero…credibility, zero, when you go to upright standing, zero. So we wonder, isn’t this collusion? Are they not in a conspiracy to reap Ugandans left right and centre? We condemn and we demand that the Minister comes up and responds to the concerns which were raised on the floor of parliament,” he added.
Following March reports that Bagyenda had Shs19 billion on three different accounts, which sparked a public debate on how she accumulated such amount of money within six years, a whistleblower petitioned the FIA, demanding that Bagyenda be investigated. Whereas FIA executive director Sydney Asubo in March told journalists that the authority had opened inquiries into the matter, no report is yet to be produced.
It was reported that she had Shs19billion on three different accounts, which sparked a public debate on how she accumulated such amount of money within six years.
Barclays Bank Uganda and Diamond Trust Bank later apologized to her for exposing her accounts details in the media.
Leaked Mobile Money transactions from her MTN account showed Ms Bagyenda had transacted a whopping Shs499,428,906 million in three years.
MTN also apologised to Ms Bagyenda for the inconveniences and assured the public that “all confidential customer information is handled and protected with the highest duty of care and integrity.
