A section of Members of Parliament have come out to strongly condemn Speaker Kadaga’s decision to halt the Public Acounts committee (PAC)’s investigations into the scam discovered at the Office of the Prime Minister. (OPM)
PAC Chairman Hon Kassiano Wadri expressed dissatisfaction with the Speaker’s directive labelling her decision a “betrayal.” We have spent more than three moths reading documents, and preparing to ask the right questions, only to be told that the enquiry has been stopped! I can’t rule out undue interference!” Wadri said.
Shadow Attorney General, Hon. Abdu Katuntu cited Article 164 of the Constitution, which says all accounting officers are accountable to Parliament. “Rules of Procedure cannot limit the constitutional mandate of Parliament,” Mr Katuntu said. “The Speaker should use her discretion powers, but the sub judice rule is not cast in stone. It’s wrong to stop the enquiry into the abuse of funds in the OPM – we are not subordinate to the DPP.”
The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga halted investigations into the OPM’s misappropriation of funds following a letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions who noted that principal suspects in the committee’s hearings are already committed to the courts of law, arguing that this breaches the sub judice rule.
Over sh50bn in foreign aid channelled through the OPM was misappropriated and parliament needed accountability of the funds. So far, arrests have been made in connection to the fraud.
