Overview:
In a brief appearance before Parliament's select committee investigating the operations of the NSSF on Thursday, February 2, Mr Byarugaba said he had not responded to the allegations at any fora because the Minister’s letter was not written to him and just saw it on social media.
The former managing director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Mr Richard Byarugaba, has described as witch-hunt allegations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against him.
In a brief appearance before Parliament’s select committee investigating the operations of the NSSF on Thursday, February 2, Mr Byarugaba said he had not responded to the allegations at any fora because the Minister’s letter was not written to him and just saw it on social media.
“I have not had any communication from the Board about it at all and I have not even been given any opportunity to respond to them,” said Byarugaba in part. “I really feel awful because a lot of the allegations, especially the ones that touch on me like corruption…there is no evidence to prove.”
“I have not had any communication from the Board about it at all and I have not even been given any opportunity to respond to them. I really feel awful because a lot of the allegations, especially the ones that touch on me like corruption…there is no evidence to prove.”
richard byarugaba, former nssf managing director
Byarugaba said that he is a victim and the happenings are a witch-hunt and victimization that he cannot comprehend why anybody would like to make allegations against him and fail to back them with evidence.
He said that he is being subjected to pain yet he had done a good job at the Fund and that this can be seen in the records of the Auditor General when he issued unqualified audits for the last 10 years and reports of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority -PPDA.
Mwine Mpaka, the Select Committee chairperson, directed Byarugaba to prepare a formal defence to the allegations against him.
The select committee chaired by Mbarara South Member of Parliament, Mwine Mpaka was named last week to examine corporate governance structures at NSSF, examine circumstances surrounding the appointment of the Managing Director, evaluate the status and safety of savers’ money, examine the extent of stakeholder engagement in decision making and inquire into any other matters incidental thereto.