During his weekly media address, the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue party president, Joseph Kabuleeta cirticizes Speaker Anita Among’s directive of stopping Joel Ssenyonyo’s COSSACE committee from investigating the Microfinance support center.
Kabuleeta alleges that through the Microfinance support centre, over 6326 unlicenced ‘Emyoga’ Saccos were financed and all these were lacking an operational licenses from the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority.
Kabureeta reveals that seed capital was distributed to over 6000 Saccos without a memorandum of understanding of how they are going to pay back.
Kabureeta says microfinance support centre dispersed about ugx 30 billion to various constituency Saccos as grants yet it was supposed to be loan money and this money remained un accessed by the beneficiary Saccos. “The reason why rules were not followed is because there were some big names behind” he adds.
“During the physical inspection, Kayunga district revealed Ugx 500 million was dispersed by various circles to non traceable beneficiaries without entering into loan agreements and ascertaining evidence of borrowing associations.” Joseph Kabureeta revealed.
According to the NEED president, as the parliamentary COSSACE committee was trying to investigate and to bring the micro support centre people to account, the speaker of the 11th parliament Rt. Hon Anita Among wrote to this committee and stopped them from taking on the investigations;
“The speaker of parliament write to COSSACE 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 when it had became very hitted.” Joseph Kabureeta said.
Kabureeta further revealed 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 continues to criticise this rule saying COSSACE is supposed to investigate all state enterprises, and Microfinance support centre and all enterprises which have taxpayer’s money.
“She’s actually the one who sent the audited accounts of the Microfinance center to COSSACE committee for investigations and when the investigation was becoming very nasty that she told them to stop.” Former presidential candidate Joseph Kabureeta added.
Kabureeta continues to question the speaker’s interest in stopping COSSACE from investigating government entities that mishandle public funds.
“I want to understand what the speakers’ interest is in stopping committee from which is supposed to bring 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?!. Kabureeta questions speaker’s decisions.
Kabureeta while addressing journalists also criticised Government’s newly launched agricultural package aiming at boosting the economy saying the money will still be stolen by individuals just like the ‘Emyoga’ money.