MPs, accounting officers accuse each other of bribery

By Moses Mulondo

AS the monster of corruption continues rearing its ugly head in public offices, Members of Parliament and accounting officers on Wednesday traded counter accusations against each other over giving bribes.

Speaking during a discourse between accounting officers and Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the exchange was kicked off by the PAC chairperson Alice Alaso who warned accounting officers to stop the habit of sending emissaries to her with bribes aimed at compromising her in the course of doing her work.

The Serere woman MP said, “I felt offended when some accounting officers sent me emissaries to bribe me. If your emissary has not given you back your money, tell him to give you the money. Please don’t send emissaries again. We shall not take the bribes. We shall be honest. The word of God says thou shall not steal. When I saw the money I said these people must have stolen.”

Elaborating her concern further, Alaso said, “The Bible says thou shall not deprive the poor of what belongs to them. The sanctions are in the Bible. For me I want to go heaven. There is more serious work after life on earth. It is important for some of you to repent your sins and be born again,” Alaso said.

Alaso said in PAC’s latest reports they have recommended that 8 accounting officers be sacked for stealing public funds.

Responding to Alaso’s unusual remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the gender ministry Pius Bigirimana said, “I was happy when you said accounting officers should not send emissaries. But some of the emissaries unfortunately come from parliament to us. The MPs should not send us emissaries. I ask you to take this crusade to the parliament plenary so that MPs can also repent and stop sending us emissaries. Some of us also want to go to heaven.”

Bigirimana, who expressed disappointment that MPs had judged him before listening to him during the OPM scam probe, said, “During the OPM saga, some MPs could send me emissaries. I ask you to carry on with this crusade so that MPs live up to their title of honourable. Corruption is not just stealing money but moral decay as I indicated in my book.”

Kampala Capital City Executive Director Jennifer Musisi said, “I am pleased by what you have said that you don’t want emissaries because you want to go to heaven. I have had incidents when MPs asked for bribes from me through my staff and I told them I have no budget for bribes. I know of other accounting officers who have been held at ransom by these demands with threats that if they don’t comply they would be in trouble. There are MPs who ask for bribes from us so that we can be treated well in their committees.”

Musisi suggested that if the crusade Alaso had started is carried into the public domain with continuous sensitization public officials who have a habit of giving or soliciting bribes will stop it.

Uganda Revenue Authority Commissioner General Doris Akol said, “Influence other oversight committees to emulate you. Many of us appear before other committees and we want them to emulate you.”  

Bunyole County MP Emmanuel Dombo said, “MPs are not saints. Being an honourable does not mean you are holy and honest. Some of the MPs were public officers who used to steal public funds.”

The Auditor General John Muwanga said, “Corruption is a changing animal. These days we also have corruption embedded in contracts. About 75% of government expenditures are through contracts. The new law empowers the secretary to the treasury not to renew contracts of accounting officers who have swindled public funds. Such people should be relieved of their duties.”

In the current parliament, reports from various committees like the one on the mismanagement of KCCA and eviction of Kasokoso residents have been rejected by the parliament plenary after allegations that MPs had received bribes from the culprits.