NSSF probe team protests summons
Sep 29, 2008
MPs of the committee probing the NSSF land saga have scoffed at the Police summoning them over forged documents.
By Joyce Namutebi and Milton Olupot
MPs of the committee probing the NSSF land saga have scoffed at the Police summoning them over forged documents.
They said the alleged summons were a ploy to distract them and intimidate them from doing their work.
The Police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba, said on Tuesday that the 20-member team was summoned by CID deputy director, Hajji Moses Balimwoyo, to appear tomorrow.
She said they have to substantiate reports that some of the documents presented to them for perusal were forged.
However, the MPs on the probe team yesterday said they had not received any summons from the Police.
“As far as the committee is concerned we have only read it in the media,†said committee chairperson Johnson Malinga.
“We have not received any summons. I have tried to follow it up with the Speaker of Parliament but I have got nothing.â€
Bugweri MP Abdu Katuntu (FDC) vowed he would not go if summoned. “If what the press is saying is true, it is highly prejudicial to the proceedings of the committee,†he told the House.
“I don’t think the Police have any powers to interfere with an investigation of Parliament. We should treat this as redundancy and not waste our time.â€
Elijah Okupa (FDC) said: “This matter has hit the airwaves before getting to us. This is tantamount to intimidation. There is no way the Police can summon this committee.
Instead, this committee will summon CID if we receive this summon.â€
Reagan Okumu (FDC) said the committee had powers of the High Court.
“I have never seen the Police summoning the High Court. The CID is fully represented here to detect that a crime is about to be committed,†Okumu said.
The New Vision last week reported that bank documents, circulated in Parliament, were declared false by the banks concerned.
The documents were intended to probe that security minister Amama Mbabazi had paid a bribe to his colleague to approve the NSSF land deal.
Aggrey Bagiire (NRM) said the committee had never discussed or received any documents to that effect and suggested it summons the Inspector General of Police and director of CID to explain why they were interfering with their work.
Ntenjeru North MP Sarah Nyombi (NRM) said the Police should not summon everybody but only those who received the forged documents.
At the end of the debate, the chairperson ruled that the committee would give its position to the Speaker. “The Speaker will guide us. We shall give our views to the Speaker,†Malinga said.
MPs of the committee probing the NSSF land saga have scoffed at the Police summoning them over forged documents.
They said the alleged summons were a ploy to distract them and intimidate them from doing their work.
The Police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba, said on Tuesday that the 20-member team was summoned by CID deputy director, Hajji Moses Balimwoyo, to appear tomorrow.
She said they have to substantiate reports that some of the documents presented to them for perusal were forged.
However, the MPs on the probe team yesterday said they had not received any summons from the Police.
“As far as the committee is concerned we have only read it in the media,†said committee chairperson Johnson Malinga.
“We have not received any summons. I have tried to follow it up with the Speaker of Parliament but I have got nothing.â€
Bugweri MP Abdu Katuntu (FDC) vowed he would not go if summoned. “If what the press is saying is true, it is highly prejudicial to the proceedings of the committee,†he told the House.
“I don’t think the Police have any powers to interfere with an investigation of Parliament. We should treat this as redundancy and not waste our time.â€
Elijah Okupa (FDC) said: “This matter has hit the airwaves before getting to us. This is tantamount to intimidation. There is no way the Police can summon this committee.
Instead, this committee will summon CID if we receive this summon.â€
Reagan Okumu (FDC) said the committee had powers of the High Court.
“I have never seen the Police summoning the High Court. The CID is fully represented here to detect that a crime is about to be committed,†Okumu said.
The New Vision last week reported that bank documents, circulated in Parliament, were declared false by the banks concerned.
The documents were intended to probe that security minister Amama Mbabazi had paid a bribe to his colleague to approve the NSSF land deal.
Aggrey Bagiire (NRM) said the committee had never discussed or received any documents to that effect and suggested it summons the Inspector General of Police and director of CID to explain why they were interfering with their work.
Ntenjeru North MP Sarah Nyombi (NRM) said the Police should not summon everybody but only those who received the forged documents.
At the end of the debate, the chairperson ruled that the committee would give its position to the Speaker. “The Speaker will guide us. We shall give our views to the Speaker,†Malinga said.