A section of MPs on Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises have rubbished a report of a sub-committee that was formed to investigate properties of Bank of Uganda deputy Governor Dr. Loius Kasekende and former Executive Director Commercial bank supervision, Justine Bagyenda.
COSASE led Abdu Katuntu on December 13, 2018 appointed a three-member sub committee consisting of UPDF MP Brig. Franics Takira, Kiruhura Woman MP Sheila Mwine and chaired Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among to investigate properties belonging to the two officials.
The sub committee was constituted after Aruu South MP Odonga Otto tabled documents showing that Kasekende owned 72 properties in and around Kampala.
Otto’s documents also showed that Kasekende had transferred 18 land titles into the names of his driver a one Musitwa and another 35 into the names of his relatives.
Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa had on the same day presented documents on 11 properties that reportedly belonged to Bagyenda. Okupa has also proposed that the Financial Intelligence Authority be summoned over the matter.
COSASE committee members are querying the report saying Among never participated in the scrutiny exercise and that Takira and Mwine like Bagyenda come from Western Uganda like Bagyenda, so they could have been compromised.
News website Eagle Online reported that Among who chaired COSASE yesterday threw out the report warning that exclusion of other committee members would make the report unacceptable.
“We gave documents to the committee. It would have been better for Hon. Mwine and Hon. Brig. Takira to invite us to give input. But to our surprise the two yesterday brought a report to which we were not party to and we suspect this is the work of Bagyenda who is using fellow tribemates,” Eagle quoted an MP.
Kasekende and Bagyenda’s wealth came to light at the time Parliament is probing BoU officials for possible corruption over the closure of seven commercial banks.
During the same December 13 sitting, MP Otto also tabled bank statements detailing the transfer of $1m to Mrs Edith Kasekende’s account by a Chinese firm and another Shs1.9b from MMAKS Advocates.
“What is of interest to me is the transfer of $1m to Mrs Edith Kasekende’s account by China Railway Group, the company that constructed the BoU currency centre. The committee should pick interest,” he said then.
“These people were closing banks to enrich themselves. The public has to know the motivation of some people to close banks. The Ministry of Lands authenticated the documents by giving a search certificate detailing that these 16 properties are in your names,” Otto said.
Prior to Kasekende’s wealth leaking, Bagyenda’s property had leaked indicating that she had over 17 properties in and around Kampala and Western Uganda. She also had Shs19bn stashed away in three banks and had made mobile money transfers to her son to the tune of Shs500m in just three years!
Bagyenda is also the subject of probes by the IGG’s office and Financial Intelligence Authority, though these finds are yet to be released.