OPM SCAM: Kadaga makes U-Turn on Probe

Speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga has allowed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to resume its probe in the mismanagement of the funds meant for the peace recovery and development programme in the office of the prime minister saying that her directive was never intended to stop the investigation.

Addressing journalists at parliament, PAC chairman Kassiano Wadri kassiano Wadiri and Vice chairman Paul Mwiru said that the speaker called them in her chambers and Okayed them to go ahead with the investigation that the committee started three months ago. Kadaga had directed the committee to stop the investigation three days ago saying that it was subjudice since the case is already in court according to the Director of Public Prosecution Richard Butera.

The speaker, according to Wadri, did not have intentions of stopping the work of the committee but to restrictive to witnesses who were to appear in court between and does not stop it from its work. Kadaga said that the committee can go ahead and summon the remaining witnesses.

The public had already started speculating that the reason the speaker halted the probe was because of influence from the remaining witnesses who include first lady and minister for Karamoja affairs Janet kataha Museveni, and Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi. Another witness the Wadri says the committee shall interface with is the director of farm engineering which was contracted to plough land in karamoja.

Wadri says that it is important that the three witnesses appear because they are implicated in the Auditor General’s report and that it will be unfair if the committee doesn’t give them a fair hearing. Wadri said that the first lady has to explain to the committee the money she is said to have received to travel to Israel on numerous occasions.

Parliament, police and CID have been investigating the alleged mismanagement of about 50 billion shillings by officials in the office of the prime minister. The scandal led to donors withdrawing their aid to Uganda saying that the funds do not facilitate the projects they are meant to