Overview:
This comes after a report of the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry unearthed the rot in the compensation of cooperatives for the war losses incurred during the political instabilities in the 1970s and 1980s.
The Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabaazi, has revealed that 30 MPs are facing criminal investigation into their role in the embezzlement Shs164Bn meant for Cooperatives compensation, and among the culprits include five ‘talkative’ and ‘noisy’ Opposition MPs.
“The Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) is taking on files, around 5 files have been identified and the good thing with it, it wasn’t only the Ministry, there are MPs more than 30 MPs who are into this including Opposition MPs, five active opposition MPs very talkative and noise makers will also face it rough. We shall also face it as a Ministry, but they will also face it. So, we aren’t scared, we shall also face it wherever it will end, God knows, let it unfold that way,” said Ntabaazi.
Minister Ntabaazi made the remarks while appearing before Parliament’s Trade Committee where she called for calm amongst MPs, saying the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives will continue executing its mandate amidst the embezzlement probe, reminding MPs that even when the Office of the Prime Minister was embroiled in the scandal for the theft of iron sheets, business continued as usual.
“We aren’t scared, we shall undertake it because it is now beyond us, we are before the security investigatory organs of Government, let us battle out there and the law will have it all. That shouldn’t worry the Committee and that won’t stop Government from working, otherwise that would have stopped the Office of Prime Minister from working, where the iron sheets were. So I beg you that you cool down, those organs of Government are doing their work,” said Ntabaazi.
This comes after a report of the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry unearthed the rot in the compensation of cooperatives for the war losses incurred during the political instabilities in the 1970s and 1980s.
According to the report, Approved Budget Estimates, Ministerial Policy Statements and Budget Committee reports for FY 2016/17 to FY 2022/2023 indicate that a total of Shs 172.77bln has been appropriated by parliament to MTIC for compensation of war loss claims for cooperative unions and societies.
The Committee notes that whereas the Finance ministry released Shs 109.84bln to MTIC to pay cooperatives, the actual payments MTIC made to cooperatives was Shs 140.36bln. “The Committee was informed by MTIC that MJCA paid Shs 6.97bln hence the total compensation made by the government is Shs 147.22bln which is over and above the money allocated to the compensation budget item by 37.38bln,” the MPs said.