New board members of the Financial Intelligence Authority are set to swear-in next Tuesday, but Justine Bagyenda, the former Bank of Uganda Executive Director in charge of supervision is conspicuously missing on the list.
This development follows Bagyenda’s recent snubbing of Parliament’s Appointments Committee where she was supposed to appear for vetting. Bagyenda wrote to the committee headed by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga indicating that she was out of the country, but phone records indicated she was within Kampala.
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija had drafted Bagyenda’s name on the list of FIA board members to be re-appointed but he came under fire for naming a public official who was subject of investigation by the office of the Inspector General of Government for alleged illicit enrichment and the FIA itself for possible money laundering after whistle blowers leaked her bank account details.
Kasaija in his response said the allegations had not come up at the time he drafted the list and he would await Parliament’s decision. Bagyenda chose not to appear before the appointments committee.
FIA’s Executive Director Sydney Asubo confirmed Bagyenda would not take oath. “She is yet to appear before Parliament’s Appointments Committee,” he told a local daily.
Approved board members include Police CID Director Grace Akullo, Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, Patrick Ocailap, Mrs Patricia Mutesi and former BoU governor Leo Kibirango who retains his position as the authority’s chairperson.
It seems Bagyenda’s fate is sealed as Parliament’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs Chris Obore stated that if her name is missing on the list, it is only confirmation that the committee has closed the voting exercise.