KAMPALA- The leaders of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has said that nothing will distract them from completing the investigation into the controversial closure of seven commercial banks by Bank of Uganda and dismissed as empty talk calls by the Leader of the Opposition to block the extension of their term of office.
COSASE chairman Abdu Katuntu and his deputy Anita Among are supposed to hand over office to Kawempe MP Mubarak Munyagwa and Rubaga North’s Moses Kasibante on January 13.
However, because the investigation into BoU operations is still ongoing, the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has since extended their tenure to February 20 to allow the completion of the probe, a thing that has annoyed the Leader of the Opposition, Betty Aol.
But on Thursday, COSASE vice chairperson Among said she only cares about the directive issued by the speaker.
“I don’t mind about any noise, we have one leader in Parliament, that is the Speaker and we go by the Speaker’s ruling,” she said.
She added: “I don’t react on noise because Parliament is not managed in the streets.”
The Bukedea Woman MP added that they have an assignment that they must complete.
“That assignment involves writing the report and presenting it to Parliament,” said Among.
“That was the ruling of the Speaker but if the speaker also says we leave, we have no problem, we have done our part and everyone knows we have done it,” she added.
It is over a month since COSASE started investigating BoU officials led by Governor Emmanuel Mutebile over closure of 7 banks including Sudhir Ruparelia’s Crane Bank that was closed in 2016.
The MP’s inquiry is focusing on the mismanagement of closed banks by BoU after the Auditor General Mr John Muwanga issued a stinging criticism of the central bank in a special audit that cited massive flaws in the closure of Teefe Bank (1993), International Credit Bank Ltd (1998), Greenland Bank (1999), The Co-operative Bank (1999), National Bank of Commerce (2012), Global Trust Bank (2014) and the sale of Crane Bank Ltd (CBL) to dfcu (2016). All the former directors of the above-closed banks will also be cross-examined by the committee.
