KAMPALA – The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mr Aggrey Kibenge has urged the Solicitor General, Mr Francis Atoke, to advise whether the chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), Ms Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi, should be interdicted as she battles corruption charges.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has written to Mr Kibenge, asking that Ms Ntambi be interdicted in line with public service standing orders on public officials facing corruption charges.
But on November 9, Mr Kibenge wrote to the Solicitor General, saying that since Ms Ntambi was appointed by the President with approval of Parliament, he not sure whether she entirely falls under the ordinary civil servant category.
“As you are aware, the chairperson and members of the Equal Opportunities Commission are appointed by His Excellence, the President with approval of Parliament. The appointment is subject to the constitution, the Equal Opportunities Act and the Public Service Act……., the Director of Public Prosecutions has advised me to perform my duty as the responsible officer to interdict Mr Sylvia Ntambi,” Kibenge’s letter reads in part..
Adding: “This is therefore, to seek your advice on whether or not to proceed to interdict Ms Sylvia Muwebwa Ntambi based on the advice offered by the Director of Public Prosecutions. If the above advice by the DPP stands, to seek your guidance on who is the rightful responsible officer to interdict the officer being as appointee of H.E, the President.”
Ms Ntambi faces two counts of conspiracy to defraud government and corruption. Last month, she spent a period of one week in prison over the same corruption charges before she was later released on cash bail of Shs3.5m. She returns to the Kololo-based Anti-Corruption Court on November 24 for mention of her case.
