Kadaga, Attorney General clash over sh10b

Apr 23, 2020

Kadaga also took a swipe at the banks: “I want to warn the banks which are interfering with member’s accounts, you will be sued, the members you are disturbing have no judgment against you, none, it is all just stupidity.”

COVID-19 | PARLIAMENT

KAMPALA - The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has accused the office of the Attorney General(AG) for siding with the House's tormentors in legal suits against Parliament.

Her outburst followed the legal guidance by the AG William Byaruhanga who told Parliament that spending sh20m deposited on each MP's account by the parliamentary commission, would be contempt of the court.

 
"The court's decision is binding until it is reversed, any action to the contrary will expose that person to contempt of court," Byaruhanga warned as he briefed Parliament on Thursday afternoon.

Kadaga had asked the AG to guide the House on the way forward, after the court had blocked the MPs from using sh20m deposited on their accounts by the Parliamentary commission, to help with oversight work on COVID-19 pandemic.

Byaruhanga, however, guided that MPs who received the money before April 21, when the court order was issued are free to spend the money, warning those who received the money after 21st not to dare use it.

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In response, however, Kadaga challenged the Attorney General's guidance saying Parliament was not a party to the suit in which the judgment was made.

"Sometimes you have abandoned us behind the court; you have consented with the other side leaving us. So, we look at this as an attempt to suffocate the work of Parliament, to diminish the works of parliament," Kadaga said.

She noted that the court order doesn't only affect Parliament but also other government agencies and ministries such as the ministry of health that have received part of the sh304b supplementary budget for the COVID-19 pandemic.

 
The visibly angry Kadaga also took a swipe at the banks who she said were interfering with MPs' bank accounts.

"I want to warn the banks which are interfering with member's accounts, you will be sued, the members you are disturbing have no judgment against you, none, it is all just stupidity," Kadaga said.

Recently, the Civil Division of the High court in Kampala issued an order blocking the release of the controversial allocation of shs10b to MPs to sensitize their voters about the spread and fight of COVID-19 until the main case in which two MPs challenged the giveaway of the said money is heard and disposed of.

Court says the order will stay in force until April 29, 2020, when the court will hear the main case filed by MPs Gerald Karuhanga of Ntungamo Municipality and Jonathan Odur of Erute Constituency.

However, according to a circular released Wednesday, by the clerk to Parliament Jane Kibirige, the money had been released to the MPs, by April 17 before the order was issued.

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