Suruma pressured NSSF to buy land, Jamwa tells probe
Oct 02, 2008
NSSF chief David Chandi Jamwa yesterday reportedly said the fund bought the Temangalo land under pressure from finance minister Ezra Suruma.
By Milton Olupot and Mary Karugaba
NSSF chief David Chandi Jamwa yesterday reportedly said the fund bought the Temangalo land under pressure from finance minister Ezra Suruma.
Testifying before the parliamentary probe committee in a closed meeting, Jamwa stated that he had three separate meetings in Speke Resort Munyonyo, at the NSSF offices and in Suruma’s office, with the minister and businessman, Amos Nzeyi, over the purchase of the land.
The committee is investigating NSSF over the land bought from Nzeyi and Arma Ltd., a company linked to security minister Amama Mbabazi.
The committee wants to establish if Mbabazi pressured the fund to buy his the land.
Before Jamwa started his testimony, Malinga suggested that he was free to testify in camera if he so wished, which Jamwa accepted. The journalists were sent out as some MPs protested the decision.
He testified in camera for about three hours.
Sources quoted Jamwa saying that Suruma told him to conclude the transaction quickly.
“In Munyonyo I was cajoled, pressurised and I could do little about it,†he was quoted.
NSSF corporation secretary Martin Bandeebire, appearing in the open session in the afternoon, also said pressure had been exerted .
“During a meeting attended by Amos Nzeyi, I advised that we pay for only two pieces of land that had clear titles and the rest, which were not clear, should first be verified. But Nzeyi said: “It looks like your corporation secretary does not know how much pressure we have to get this money.â€
“Things could have been done better than this,†he said.
A number of sources that attended the closed session said Jamwa expressed fear for his life after his testimony. He was reportedly given two Parliament Police guards.
However, NSSF board chairman Edward Gaamuwa insisted that he did not know about the pressure.
The lands ministry acting Permanent Secretary, Anne Florence Luzira, also appeared before the committee yesterday and defended the ministry’s decision to reject the request by NSSF to transfer part of the Temangalo land to its name. The request was made on August 29.
She told the committee that NSSF in March this year lodged a caveat on the plots of land because it had to be resurveyed and re-demarcated.
She said since then, the caveat had never been lifted. She said they could not carry out a transfer unless the caveat was lifted.
NSSF chief David Chandi Jamwa yesterday reportedly said the fund bought the Temangalo land under pressure from finance minister Ezra Suruma.
Testifying before the parliamentary probe committee in a closed meeting, Jamwa stated that he had three separate meetings in Speke Resort Munyonyo, at the NSSF offices and in Suruma’s office, with the minister and businessman, Amos Nzeyi, over the purchase of the land.
The committee is investigating NSSF over the land bought from Nzeyi and Arma Ltd., a company linked to security minister Amama Mbabazi.
The committee wants to establish if Mbabazi pressured the fund to buy his the land.
Before Jamwa started his testimony, Malinga suggested that he was free to testify in camera if he so wished, which Jamwa accepted. The journalists were sent out as some MPs protested the decision.
He testified in camera for about three hours.
Sources quoted Jamwa saying that Suruma told him to conclude the transaction quickly.
“In Munyonyo I was cajoled, pressurised and I could do little about it,†he was quoted.
NSSF corporation secretary Martin Bandeebire, appearing in the open session in the afternoon, also said pressure had been exerted .
“During a meeting attended by Amos Nzeyi, I advised that we pay for only two pieces of land that had clear titles and the rest, which were not clear, should first be verified. But Nzeyi said: “It looks like your corporation secretary does not know how much pressure we have to get this money.â€
“Things could have been done better than this,†he said.
A number of sources that attended the closed session said Jamwa expressed fear for his life after his testimony. He was reportedly given two Parliament Police guards.
However, NSSF board chairman Edward Gaamuwa insisted that he did not know about the pressure.
The lands ministry acting Permanent Secretary, Anne Florence Luzira, also appeared before the committee yesterday and defended the ministry’s decision to reject the request by NSSF to transfer part of the Temangalo land to its name. The request was made on August 29.
She told the committee that NSSF in March this year lodged a caveat on the plots of land because it had to be resurveyed and re-demarcated.
She said since then, the caveat had never been lifted. She said they could not carry out a transfer unless the caveat was lifted.