By Stephen Kalema
Justine Bagyenda faces arrest in case she does not appear before the parliamentary Committee on Statutory Authority and State Enterprises (Cosase) on Thursday.
The former executive director Bank of Uganda in charge of supervision of commercial banks, was summoned on Tuesday, November 20 by Cosase to explain why she never equipped the Bank of Uganda Governor, Emmanuel Mutebile with reports regarding liquidation of assets of some of the seven closed banks and to explain her role in the dissolution of some of the banks that were said to be insolvent or undercapitalised.
However when she appeared before the committee on Thursday, November 22, Bagyenda refused to answer any question referring the committee to the document she handed over to Mutebile while resigning.
“Everything you want is in the report, ask me other things but not what I wrote in reports which I left in Bank of Uganda,” said Bagyenda.
The committee then adjourned the probe and requested the BOU officials to cooperate and appear before the committee the following day when they are prepared.
However, on Friday November 23, Bagyenda snubbed the committee and went out of the country, forcing committee chairperson Abdu Katuntu, to issue her a fresh summon requiring her to appear on Tuesday (November 27) without fail or face arrest.
Unfortunately Bagyenda didn’t appear on Tuesday but wrote a letter informing Hon. Katuntu that she was not going to make it for Tuesday’s probing since she was out of the country until December 13.
“Hon. Sir, due to the current engagement (which is an international summit) I am on was planned long before the Governor’s communication and it is core to my private life. On account of my said engagement and the fact that my air ticket is restricted, I strongly regret my inability to appear before the Cosase on Tuesday November 27, 2018. My scheduled date of return is December 13, 2018. However, I am working with the airline to get a quick alternative using my restricted ticket,” read her letter.
She also clarifies why she never stated her date of return.
“With regard to the fact that I did not state in my letter the date of my return, kindly note that I did it on purpose because of security reasons and the relevant security agencies are aware of my security concerns,” she wrote.
However, reliable sources have told Cosase that Bagyenda, was not in the US she as reported in her letter to Katuntu. But rather she went through Amsterdam to Mauritius and from Mauritius to Nairobi where she is now.
Katuntu has now given her up to Thursday 10am to appear or face an arrest. The furious Cosase chairman has flagged her in contempt of parliament, a serious offence.
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