Temangalo saga back in Parliament

Jun 25, 2009

THE Temangalo land issue that threatened the political life of security minister Amama Mbabazi is resurfacing in Parliament as the committee on rules, privileges and discipline begins to probe allegations that Mbabazi interfered with the probe committee a

By Milton Olupot

THE Temangalo land issue that threatened the political life of security minister Amama Mbabazi is resurfacing in Parliament as the committee on rules, privileges and discipline begins to probe allegations that Mbabazi interfered with the probe committee and that some of its members leaked the report to him.

The committee chairman, Peter Nyombi (NRM), yesterday instructed the deputy clerk of Parliament to give the members the details of the complaints, which had been referred to the committee by the Speaker.

The complaints were raised by different MPs during last year’s probe into allegations that Mbabazi abused his office when he, together with his business partner, Amos Nzeyi, sold land to NSSF at sh11b, the biggest chunk of which belonged to Nzeyi.

MPs said Mbabazi held meetings to influence MPs on the probe committee. Members of the committee, who wrote a minority report exonerating him, were also accused of leaking the report. They are expected to appear before the committee to defend themselves.

The majority report, chaired by Johnson Malinga (Independent), found Mbabazi and then finance minister Ezra Suruma guilty of breaching the leadership code, conflict of interest and influence peddling.

The minority report, however, did not find fault with the land deal, saying there was value for money, and argued that Parliament had no powers to enforce the leadership code.

Both reports were tabled before Parliament. But before the debate could start, minister Adolf Mwesige concurred that the power to enforce the leadership code was with the IGG. Consequently, the Speaker asked the attorney general for an opinion. “It is clear that the standing committee acted in good faith in conducting an inquiry under the Leadership Code and in making findings and conclusions under the code. However, it did not have any such mandate,” Makubuya advised.

Mbabazi, also the secretary general of the NRM party, has dismissed accusations of interference, saying it is a witch-hunt by some MPs who want to destroy the NRM.

Besides complaints in relation to the Temangalo saga, the discipline committee will also investigate allegations against Tororo County MP, Geoffrey Ekanya (FDC), that he abused his office as chairperson of the local government accounts committee when investigating the lease of Nakasero Market by city tycoon Basajabalala.

But Ekanya claims that his accuser, Erias Lukwago (DP), leaked his report to the market vendors before it was tabled in Parliament.

In addition, the committee will investigate a complaint of defamation by the deputy Speaker against MP Saleh Kamba (NRM). The latter allegedly accused Kadaga in the party caucus of campaigning for opposition candidate Abdu Katuntu against Kirunda Kivejinja in the Bugweri byelection.

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