By our reporter
The Inspector General of Government Irene Mulyagonja has broken silence over her relationships with under fire Director of supervision at the Bank of Uganda, Ms Justine Bagyenda.
Her reaction is seen as a move to deflate pressure from criticism that she is sitting on petitions by whistleblowers against government corrupt government officers.
On top of the list of names Justice Mulyagonja has to shake off the dust is outgoing director of commercial banks supervision, Justine Bagyenda. Criticism have thrown a can of worms saying she is protecting her because the duo were friends.
Mulyagonja has however come out to defend herself against the allegations, distancing herself from Ms Bagyenda being her friend.
The IGG told the media this week that she came to know Bagyenda about two years, and therefore she cannot claim friendship with her.
The public had concluded that the IGG wasn’t interested in investigating Bagyenda on account the two ladies were close friends.
Mulyagonja is quoted telling Daily Monitor that, “I don’t know where they trace me being a friend of Bagyenda. I came to know Justine Bagyenda as director of bank supervision about two years ago. Before that, I didn’t know this woman”.
For that matter, Mulyagonja says, “We welcome any other authority that can verify Bagyenda’s assets. We shall hand over the declarations so that authority does the verification so that the public stops accusing me of being friends with this woman.”
Since media leaks indicated Ms Bagyenda was wealthy beyond her paycheck, the IGG has been facing public scrutiny.
The IGG however has confirmed receipt of the whistleblower’s report, however, despite the slow pace of the investigation.
However, when BoU governor Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile appointed a new person to occupy the office of the Director of Commercial banks supervision, the IGG’s guns came out blazing, moved fast to block the appointment, and instituted an investigation into the governor’s conduct, leading to back and forth public confrontations.
The president advised the two top bureaucrats to put down their guns, and keep their transactions out of the media.
However last Wednesday during the state of the nation address Mr Museveni attacked the IGG saying she was ineffective in fighting corruption.
The IGG responded later that her office was poorly facilitated, on top of the fact that her office was out powered by the corrupt, who she said hide behind the president.
Mulyagonja has however come out to defend her record in regard to the investigation into Bagyenda’s wealth, one of the most powerful women in Uganda.
Justice Mulyagonja has told the media that her office was in the last stages compiling a report about the matter, and asked the public to come up with more information to help her conclude her case against Bagyenda.
Ms Bagyenda faces allegations of amassing wealth. A parallel investigation has been conducted by the investigated by Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) over money laundering accusations.
On February 20 this year, a whistleblower petitioned the IGG to investigate Ms Bagyenda in regard to assets and billions of shillings allegedly held in different bank accounts.
Ms Mulyagonja, who also clarified that her investigations into Ms Bagyenda does not relate to the sale of Crane Bank by the Central Bank, said her verification of assets report will be sent to the Parliament Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises which is doing other investigations on Bank of Uganda
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