By Watchdog reporter
Finance Minister Matia Kasaija on Tuesday apologized to Members of Parliament for failing to honour summons explain the disappearance of Shs150 million meant to buy medicines for the National Medical Stores.
The minister was made to issue an apology by angry MPs on the Public Accounts Committee after adamantly refusing to respect summons leveled towards him.
The Committee Chairperson, Angelina Osege, put the minister to task to explain why he has not been showing up at the committee.
Kasaija told the Committee members that some of them had earlier threatened him. The revelation sparked an uproar with some MPs demanding that the minister issue an apology and be put under oath.
The minister caved in to the demands of the MPs and apologized. But Some MPs were dissatisfied with his apology and force him to issue another one.
According to NTV, the lawmakers also wanted the Permanent Secretary of the Finance Ministry, Keith Muhakanizi to be reined in for shunning their committee meetings.
Muhakanizi arrived a few minutes later arrived and he was also ‘forced’ to apologize to the committee.
After apologizing, the two officials were tasked to explain the whereabouts of the shs150 million meant for drugs.
Kasaija told the committee that the shilling fluctuation against the dollar caused the shortfall.
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