By Frank Kamuntu
During his weekly media address, the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue Party (NEED) president, Joseph Kabuleta has criticized the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon. Anita Among’s directive of stopping Hon Joel Ssenyonyo’s COSASE committee from investigating mafialism at Microfinance Support Centre (MSC).
Kabuleta alleges that through the Microfinance Support Centre, over 6326 unlicensed Emyoga Saccos were financed and all these were lacking operational licenses from the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA).
Further, he says that seed capital was distributed to the above Saccos without a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of how they are going to pay back.
The politicians adds that MSC dispersed about Ugx30 billion to various constituency Saccos as grants yet it was supposed to be loans and this money remained unaccessed by the beneficiary Saccos. “The reason why rules were not followed is because there were some big names behind this scandal,” he adds.
“During the physical inspection, Kayunga district revealed Ugx500 million was dispersed by various individuals to non traceable beneficiaries without entering into loan agreements and ascertaining evidence of borrowing associations,” Joseph revealed.
“The Speaker of Parliament wrote to COSASE and told them to stop and to desist from investigating the Micro Support Finances. I don’t know why. I don’t know what her interest in it is, but she told them to stop which is what she also did with the Uganda Airlines,” Kabuleta said.
He says that the Speaker (in a non public document letter) quotes a rule which says that parliamentary committee is not supposed to investigate Microfinance Support Centre because it’s not a statutory body. He criticized this rule saying COSASE is supposed to investigate all state enterprises that use taxpayer’s money.
“She’s actually the one who sent the audited accounts of the Microfinance Center to COSASE committee for investigations and when the investigation was becoming very nasty that she told them to stop,” he added.
Kabuleta questions the speaker’s interest; “I want to understand what the Speakers’ interest is in stopping the committee from bringing people to account for use of public funds, why should people who are being investigated run and report to the speaker and she stops investigations, what kind of parliament is that?!. Kabuleta fumed.
Kabuleta while addressing journalists also criticized Government’s newly launched agricultural package aiming at boosting the economy saying the money will still be stolen by individuals just like the ‘Emyooga’ money among other failed projects.
