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Opposition MPs task govt to expose corrupt officials
The Shadow Minister of Information and Anti-Corruption, Ms Joyce Bagala, presents a statement before Parliament on the performance of anti-corruption agencies onDecember 7, 2022. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Legislators want a list of individuals who have been investigated over corruption and the amount of funds recovered from them.
Opposition Members of Parliament have demanded that the government should expose and prosecute officials embroiled in corruption schemes.
The lawmakers made the call yesterday while debating the performance of the key achievements of the anti-corruption agencies whose works were accessed from July 2020.
Ms Rose Lilly Akello, the State minister for Ethics and Integrity, presented the scorecard to the House on Tuesday.
According to the scorecard, the Auditor General ranked top in recovering funds pilfered by public officials, followed by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, with the Inspectorate of Government coming third.
The three agencies have returned Shs241b to the state coffers in the past three years.
Ms Joyce Bagala, the Shadow Minister for Information and Anti-Corruption (Mityana Woman), said the House would be served better if a list of public officers, prosecuted or interdicted was provided.
She was referring to the Shs41.6b that the State House Anti-Corruption Unit recovered, of which Shs8.6b was from inflated Covid-19 relief food prices.
“Covid-19 is a recent problem. Were these officials first-time offenders or they are chronic thieves of public funds? They could actually still be in offices stealing more,” Ms Bagala said.
She hoped that Ms Akello returns to table the lists of individuals who have been investigated as reported in the statement and the respective amounts of funds recovered from them.
She also asked for steps to be taken to ensure an increased number of value-for-money audits.
Ms Susan Amero (Amuria Woman) called for killing by firing squad some of the culprits caught in corruption.
Mr Nsaba Buturo (Bufumbira County East), a former Ethics minister, called for funding of institutions mandated to fight the vice.
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda faulted Ms Akello for giving a thin statement rather than a detailed one on the status of corruption in the country.
In response, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said Ms Akello was not required by the House to give a detailed statement but would be given time in February next year to present a comprehensive one.
Proposal to rechannel shs452m
Ms Joyce Bagala requested for the rechannelling of Shs452 million that has been set aside to commemorate the International Anti-Corruption Day in Ibanda District tomorrow.
“The victims of corruption are mothers who die during childbirth due to inefficiencies in the health sector due to corruption, public schools without toilets because money is stolen, communities without clean water, again due to theft, the list is long. The activities for the anti-corruption day would make sense by thinking of those affected by corruption,” Ms Bagala said.
Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, concurred with Ms Bagala, saying: “By disrupting the commemoration, the minister would have sought a higher pedestal against corruption.” However, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, ruled that a few MPs had supported the idea.
