Bukenya wants to meet PAC
Apr 12, 2010
IN a twist of events, the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, has written to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), seeking an opportunity to meet them in his office, not in the Parliament.
By Mary Karugaba
IN a twist of events, the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, has written to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), seeking an opportunity to meet them in his office, not in the Parliament.
Bukenya communicated his willingness to appear before the CHOGM probe committee to the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, although his earlier communications were directly through the committee chairman, Nandala Mafabi (FDC).
Ssekandi confirmed receiving the letter but said he had passed it on to the committee secretary, Dinah Muhangi, after failing to meet Mafabi to discuss the matter.
“He (Bukenya) has proposed to either meet them in his office or in the Cabinet library tomorrow. I have delivered his letter to the committee secretary,†Ssekandi said.
Sources yesterday said the committee had rejected Bukenya’s request on grounds that he had not officially written to them.
“He (Bukenya) is using the Speaker as a cover-up. Earlier communications were all channelled directly through the chairman’s office. Why then should it be the Speaker to inform us of the meeting?†a source asked.
MP Theodore Ssekikuubo (NRM), however, said the committee had not yet received the letter.
“We shall consider his request after receiving official communication from him but in any case, who stopped him from appearing? This was not a Cabinet issue. It was up to him to account,†Ssekikuubo said.
However, Ssekandi said: “The office of the Speaker is an official address. These people should stop looking at technicalities. What they need is his evidence. Where they meet him will not change that.â€
After he failed to appear before the committee early this month on allegations of influence-peddling during CHOGM procurements, the MPs decided to write a report without Bukenya’s defence.
Although Bukenya kept requesting for a reschedule of the meetings, he finally declined to appear before the committee after the Cabinet, through the attorney general, advised that the committee had no powers to summon him.
Bukenya’s u-turn comes barely a week after President Yoweri Museveni said he was ready to meet the MPs and defend allegations that he authorised expenditures during CHOGM.
According to the committee schedule, five ministers, including security minister Amama Mbabazi, and others who had earlier appeared but were requested to bring more evidence, are expected to appear.
IN a twist of events, the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, has written to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), seeking an opportunity to meet them in his office, not in the Parliament.
Bukenya communicated his willingness to appear before the CHOGM probe committee to the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, although his earlier communications were directly through the committee chairman, Nandala Mafabi (FDC).
Ssekandi confirmed receiving the letter but said he had passed it on to the committee secretary, Dinah Muhangi, after failing to meet Mafabi to discuss the matter.
“He (Bukenya) has proposed to either meet them in his office or in the Cabinet library tomorrow. I have delivered his letter to the committee secretary,†Ssekandi said.
Sources yesterday said the committee had rejected Bukenya’s request on grounds that he had not officially written to them.
“He (Bukenya) is using the Speaker as a cover-up. Earlier communications were all channelled directly through the chairman’s office. Why then should it be the Speaker to inform us of the meeting?†a source asked.
MP Theodore Ssekikuubo (NRM), however, said the committee had not yet received the letter.
“We shall consider his request after receiving official communication from him but in any case, who stopped him from appearing? This was not a Cabinet issue. It was up to him to account,†Ssekikuubo said.
However, Ssekandi said: “The office of the Speaker is an official address. These people should stop looking at technicalities. What they need is his evidence. Where they meet him will not change that.â€
After he failed to appear before the committee early this month on allegations of influence-peddling during CHOGM procurements, the MPs decided to write a report without Bukenya’s defence.
Although Bukenya kept requesting for a reschedule of the meetings, he finally declined to appear before the committee after the Cabinet, through the attorney general, advised that the committee had no powers to summon him.
Bukenya’s u-turn comes barely a week after President Yoweri Museveni said he was ready to meet the MPs and defend allegations that he authorised expenditures during CHOGM.
According to the committee schedule, five ministers, including security minister Amama Mbabazi, and others who had earlier appeared but were requested to bring more evidence, are expected to appear.