Kasaija speaks out on Corruption in finance ministry

Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija. Photo/File

Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija has warned staff in his ministry against perpetuating corruption.

Kasaija's warning comes a few weeks after two officials from his ministry, the head of Aid, Charles Ogol and a senior economist, Godfrey Turyamuhika, were arrested by the Police's Flying Squad Unit at the Ministry headquarters in Kampala on allegations that they were soliciting for a sh1.1b bribe from an investor.

After the incident, President Museveni who vowed to crack a whip on the corrupt in his current term criticized the Ministry over what he called deeply entrenched corruption. The two officials have been charged. 

In Kasaija statement which New Vision accessed on Thursday, he warned whoever is in the habit of perpetuating corruption in the ministry through soliciting of bribes and other forms to desist from the habit, lest the law deals with them harshly.

The Minister urged the Ministry official to make use of the whistle-blower approach and report any person involved in corruption by volunteering information in order to uproot the problem.

He also assured the public that in this Kisanja Hakuna Mucezo, the NRM Government is committed to fighting all forms of corruption without minding the positions of the people involved.

"NRM Government has put in place institutions to detect and prosecute crimes of corruption like the Police, Anti-Corruption Court, IGG, PAC, strong Civil Society and Media. All these demonstrate this commitment," Kasaija said.

Kasaija promised to provide the investigating team in the corruption case full cooperation and any other assistance that would help to have the matter dealt with expeditiously and conclusively to deter  recurrence of the incident of such nature.