Aruu County Member of Parliament, Samuel Odonga Otto has castigated the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Irene Mulyagonja for ordering Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Director Col.Kaka Bagyenda to investigate him and three other MPs who were on Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) as it probed Bank of Uganda over the controversial sale of seven commercial banks.
IGG Irene Mulyagonja in her latest letter asked ISO particularly to investigate the former chairperson of COSASE committee Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri County) for allegedly soliciting bribes during the recent probe into the irregular sale of commercial banks.
The directive by the IGG is based on a complaint from an undisclosed person(s), though EYALAMA NEWS DESK Uganda has learnt from separate sources it’s by one of BoU officials, that Katuntu, the former COSASE Chairman, his deputy Anita Among, Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa and Aruu North MP Odonga Otto regularly met former Crane bank biggest shareholder Sudhir Ruparelia during the course of the bank probe.
However, in a very tough tone, when contacted for a comment, Hon.Otto, one of the vocal MPs during the probe of BoU officials, tasking them to explain how they could lose key documents related to sale of banks and their assets said, he didn’t care whether he was investigated or not but was worried on the extent on how mafias have taken over the country. “I don’t care who is to investigate me; ISO, CMI, IGG, police, Arrow Boys or Flying Squad, what I care about is how the mafias are seemingly taking over the country that the IGG is now no more interested in investigating thieves but those investigating the thieves,” he said.
Otto was one of the vocal MPs during the probe of BoU officials, tasking them to explain how they could lose key documents related to sale of banks and their assets.
It is alleged that the said Otto and other committee members received cash payments from Ruparelia and his son Rajiv Ruparelia which is suspected to be the real reason they refused to yield the leadership of COSASE when their term ended, according to the letter by the IGG.
The ‘whistle blower’ accuses Katuntu of receiving a bribe of Shs400 million from BoU Governor Prof.Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, to allegedly enable the same committee to carry out a benchmarking exercise. But, according to the whistle blower that money was not declared by Katuntu neither was it accounted for.
The whiter also alleged that the compromising bribe was one of the reasons why the governor was allegedly allowed to pretend that he knew nothing about the closed banks and was never put on oath and was not clearly examined like other Bank of Uganda officials.
