Live Updates: PM Mbabazi and Hilary Onek appear before ad hoc committee investigating oil sector agreements

6:30pm: The minister says that PS signed the transfer of Heritage's interest to Tullow without his [Onek's] consent and that this infuriated the president who, during a Jinja meeting, blamed the oil companies of bribing government officials.

The Minister is done with his presentation.

The Chairman promises to call him for the on camera presentation, "We also do not want you to be left with all that dirt. We will do our best to find out the truth."

6:15pm: Kyanjo tells the Minister that the request for him to resign because he is guilty but the minister says he will elaborate on the matter when they are in camera. He goes on to say, "Honestly I even told my boss that I want to resign. But if i move away from these things right now, I would not be fair to them."

Cecilia Ogwal tells him that when people are discussing Onek, they are not discussing Onek of the Movement. But him as an individual, "So I thought that for the sake of you image you would step aside instead of saying that you are staying put for the sake of the big group."

Minister says he will not be in politics in 2016 and Committee members continue to persuade the minister to resign for the sake of his name. But he asks them, "Did you persuade the one who was here before me [Mbabazi] to resign the way you are persuading me?"

Chairman Werikhe tells that committee members that they have done their best in persuading the minister to resign but it remains his discretion to take the decision.

The minister says no new companies were brought in when he was a minister. "I never signed any new licenses. So the details of how and what it is going on, it is the ministry to give those details."

Minister Onek says its good the law is going to come so that these bureaucrats can stop playing with the resources of the country.

5:55pm: On why he is not stepping aside, Onek explains, "This is the hardest question; the hardest of them all. There are two sides of the coin, we have politics on one and parliament. There is no way any minister can really influence the decision of the investigations."

"That day of 11 October 2011, I had literally resigned. If you ask me, I would tell you I spiritually resigned. Inside me, I resigned. It is one thing to have a personal conscience and another to adhere to the politics. In politics its not the individual any more, it is about responsibility. If the banks come up and say that it is true those transactions are true, I will step aside." Onek says on why he is still a minister.

5:40pm: "I have a hotel called Boma hotel and it is a family business and when i came back from my studies I had around 13000 dollars and I kept that money until chance came for me to do business. And I was doing business at the same time working because given the fact that I was from a poor background, I was always careful in the way I did my things."

Onek explains how he increased on his savings, "I used the 13000 dollars and I bought electronics and I made over 30000 USD instantly and I continued doing that business and I got almost 400000 USD. I decided to go to my roots of construction and started constructing houses and renting out those houses."

"Doing business helped me not to dip my hands in any public money. I have sacrificed a lot in my life, I could have been driving a Mercedes Benz but I am planning ahead; am not looking behind. If an MP who has just finished Makerere wants to compare himself with me, that's not fair. I am labouring on this because some people look at that hotel in Gulu saying that I built out of bribery," Onek defends himself.

Onek's emotional submission causes Hon Bigirwa to say, "From his what he has said, I am getting convinced that this man is surely innocent."

5:20pm: Internal Affairs Minister Onek begins responding to all the queries put to him, "I am not a person who is deceitful in life. I can not smile when am supposed to be angry with you. When I was a young man I missed many beautiful girls because I was honest."

Minister Onek says, "People conspire against me because I am honest. I have been doing my own business since 1980. Everything I have is a product of what I have done in business. You do not have to steal to achieve in life. I am a civil engineer and I have a company I formed in 1989 and up to now it is there. I do not have any shares in any other business apart from the one I own."

He states firmly, "I do not have any interests with any oil company. I do not even know anything about oil. When I went to the ministry of Energy, I was denied any proper briefing but I later read all the files myself. I later formed the committee to study the energy sector especially the tariff but my former PS refused to finance it."

"I wanted to restructure the whole ministry to make sure that there is no wasteful expenditure. To be a minister you are at the mercy of the Permanent secretary. Even giving tenders and when you try to give you view you can not succeed even when you see that he is bringing a wrong company," Onek continues.

4:40pm: Onek says that, "But the Congolese were concerned about the management and maintenance of the pipeline. Since every barrel which passes through the pipeline is paid for, Congo proposed that we own it jointly. But then I left the ministry and the matter was not solved."

"But Karuhanga coming here to say that I sold the country is not good. I think he is just being given selective documents from the Ministry of Energy to come and tarnish my name. I hope this committee will be remembered as one which didn't entertain falsehood. And I look forward to a day when I will be absolved of all these false accusations."

Onek continues, "I told this parliament that the debate was diversionary so that the real theft and corruption in the sector passes you because you will be engulfed in the smoke. I said that if parliament only focuses on the accusations, it will be taken for a wild goose chase and the real theft and corruption in the sector passes it without noticing."

Hon Julius Bigirwa asks Mr Onek why he thinks he was named in the scandal and if can confirm to the committee that the account he says he owned while still a student is the only foreign account he has.
He also asks him whether he has any shares in any local companies in Uganda that are involved in the oil sector.

Hon Freedom asks him to tell the committee the names of the thieves he was chasing but are now chasing him and to also name the bureaucrats who are fighting him and were bribed. He should also to name the person who he claims first made the same allegations against him last year.

Hon Matte asks the minister whether he is building a huge hotel in his district and if it is true, to declare the source of the money he is using to construct the said hotel.

Ms Cecilia Ogwal chips in saying "Hon Hilary Onek, as innocent as he might seem to be, circumstances have put him in the situation he is facing. Because he was once the minister of of Energy, a ministry we are investigating and people are saying that he could have been part and parcel of what happened there. And if I were him, given the circumstance, and now that he is in Internal Affairs, I would not need anyone to persuade me to step aside."

She also asked the Minister about the responses from Tullow about the letters he sent to the oil company informing them of the expired licenses.

She also asks him to tell the committee the number of companies that were registered for oil exploration during his term as minister of energy. He should also explain why he endorsed Tullow Oil to take the farm down from Heritage yet he knew that it was a small company and Eni which was also a competitor and a bigger company than Tullow was left out.

Chairman asks Onek if he thinks the accusations emanated from Uganda or from outside and who he thinks is fuelling this. "I also know that the real thieves are being left and if you want to appear in camera we shall allow you. It is alleged that some of the people who were chasing the benefits from the oil sector might have lost out and they think this is the opportunity to mount pressure and the oil companies may give something to them.

4:20pm: Onek recalls that, "There was a guy who accused me of having eaten a bribe, even before these oil allegations came up. I only have an account which I used to run while still a student and that's where I used to put my money I made in Kyeyo. I hope they didn't close it."

He talks about his record, "I fought for the implementation of the Capital Gains tax and it's now being investigated. For Bujjagali I said that given the Hydrology of the Nile, we cannot produce anything beyond 170 Mega watts. So you can see how I am being fought by bureaucrats."

Says he signed an MOU with Tullow to pay the Capital gains tax and that no case should be taken for arbitration.

"But I do not know how things changed and when I asked for that MOU so that I table it in the House as evidence, they refused to give to me now that I am no longer a minister there. I request the committee to ask the minister of Energy to give you that document."

On the accusations that he was undermining the oil pipeline. Onek says that there is an agreement which was signed saying that the three countries should corporate in the issues of oil along the Albertine Graben.

The signing of that agreement was overseen by President Jakaya Kikwete

Congo wanted to have a passage of their oil through Uganda to Mombasa and that's why the President of the Congo came and met the President of Uganda and the same discussions took place in Kenya and we all agreed. The pipeline was to be paid by Congo because it was going to transport Congo's oil.

4:10pm: Mr Onek wonders the type of service he could have given to Tullow oil and Brian Glover to deserve all the money that the petitioners claim he got. "Was he giving me in his individual capacity as Glover? When I was still minister I fought Tullow to have them pay taxes including the $404 million in capital gains tax. Will they pay me 5.4 million Euros for that as a professional service?" he asks.

He proceeds saying that even the Scotland Yard investigated the same matter and found out that they were forgeries. He says even the devil should have cracked his ribs laughing at the amount of lies that were traded in parliament during the two day debate.

Onek says, "The law against corruption is genuine, and that's what I have been doing in all these ministries where i have been. It doesn't make sense that the one who has been chasing the thief is the one who is being chased.

3:50pm: Hilary Onek has just entered. The internal affairs minister was last week defenestrated (thrown out) after MPs accused him of refusing to honour the Parliament's resolution for him to step aside.

But after the Speaker's no objection letter, the Lamwo legislator has this Tuesday come to appear before the committee, and like the last time, with his consul.

He is just through with introductions and has been briefed on what has brought him to the committee. Onek says he is extremely happy that the parliament set up this committee to investigate the accusations made against him.

Uganda needs a regulated oil sector and parliament should take a lead in ensuring that this precious oil sector is not misused but in doing this, parliament should have measures to ensure that its not being used by other forces to turn against its own members.

Onek says it is no where in the minimum standards of evidence that some one can table unauthenticated documents in form of evidence.

a certian minimum standards of authenticity should always be met when tabling evidence but these documents do not meet those standards
I have never received any bribe in euors and the side account number doesnt belong to me or any member of my family.

i do not own any back account in UAE, Malta or USAthe accusations are just malicious
the samek documents were investigate by the President and they were found to be false

3:25pm: PM Mbabazi snaps and confronts Ms Cecilia Ogwal for asking that the Premier be asked to go and he will be called again. "Is it possible that Ms Cecilia gives me some respect not even as a Prime Minister but as an MP?" he asks. "She should be careful. She should quarrel with Kyanjo. He is the one who asked this question. She should not treat me and talk to me like a child."

Ms Cecilia Ogwal was attempting to stop the PM from giving his view on whether the Committee is a Kangaroo court or not. Mr Mbabazi explains the circumstances under which he referred to the committee as a Kangaroo court. "One can not be the accuser, the judge, and the executioner at the same time. that's what Kangaroo courts do. But am not saying that I do no have faith in this committee," he ends.

Kyanjo tells him that "we are not going to pass judgements; we are going to write a report to parliament but from his submission it seems he feels this is a Kangaroo court and i have reservations why he came to appear."

The chairman chips in to read to the PM the mandate of the committee, and that they [MPs] are not a court. but they are going to make a report to the House over a matter of national importance.

Mr Mbabazi goes on, "I would like you to verify all the documents presented to you even in parliament against the all the accused. in my case, I ask you to invite the USA ambassador to come and tell you whether that report he gave which is quoted in the Wikileaks is true and genuine and not just forged by Karuhanga which I think is the case. "

NB: After the PM's outburst with Ms Cecilia Ogwal, all MPs went silent and left the PM to make his submission to the end.

The PM has has concluded his presentation and he has been escorted out of the room by MP Hussein Kyanjo.

3:10pm: Kyanjo tells him that, "We are not going to pass judgements; we are going to write a report to parliament but from his submission it seems he feels this is a Kangaroo court and I have reservations why he came to appear."

The chairman chips in to read to the PM the mandate of the committee, and that they [MPs] are not a court. but they are going to make a report to the House over a matter of national importance.

2:50pm: PM Mbabazi says he is not aware of any plans to construct an oil pipeline instead of a refinery as it was alluded to by the petitioners last week.

On the issue of Wikileaks, the PM has asked the committee to invite the American Embassy officials named in the wikileaks reports in order for parliament to find out the real facts. "If you hear in wikileaks that there was a rumour in town which someone picked and took to the embassy, is it the way we are supposed to go?" he asks. "If I were the opposition, I would have asked these people, to tell us who are the authors of these documents and also prove the authenticity of the documents," Mr Mbabazi says.

Mr Hussein Kyanjo interjects saying, "I think Mr Mbabazi is just insulting and abusing this committee. He is trying to lecture us yet we also have a duty we are performing here. He is driving us into a different direction. We are not a court of law. We are a committee investigating. You want to take us your way. Please do not try to teach us what to do. That should be resisted."

Minister Mbabazi responds to Kyanjo saying that he is just expressing his opinion and not trying to teach them.

Mr Mbabazi has been in the committee for close to five hours. On six occasions, he has been told to summarize but he has instead continued to make his submissions saying that he is not convinced that he is wasting the committee's time.

2:40pm: PM Mbabazi says he is not aware of any plans to construct an oil pipeline instead of a refinery as it was alluded to by the petitioners last week.

On the issue of Wikileaks, the PM has asked the committee to invite the American Embassy officials named in the wikileaks reports in order for parliament to find out the real facts. "If you hear in wikileaks that there was a rumour in town which someone picked and took to the embassy, is it the way we are supposed to go?" he asks.

2:15pm: On the issue of the bank accounts and his financial dealings, Mr Mbabazi says, "I also do not know about any bank called bank on Mellon in the US." The PM also refuses to submit details of his accounts, emails, and faxes saying that the there is no reason for the committee to know his private life

On whether is happy with the oil companies getting free licenses and whether it in the best interests of Uganda, the PM says he can discuss that with the MPs in a general way when he is invited again to the committee.

MS Ogwal interjects condemning the Premier's way of responding to the question saying, "I posed this question with an interest of knowing the PM's interest in the oil sector but it is disheartening to see him just gloss over the matter saying that he will address it when we invite him again. What type of super minister are you who doesn't even know what is going on in the sector?"

But the PM defends his style of responding to questions saying that, "I was clear when I said that I will answer exhaustively to questions related to bribery accusations against me and that I will respond to the others in a general way when I am called back. The purpose of why I came here is to respond to accusations against me."

Mr Mbabazi further states, "What I can tell you is that cabinet is discussing the oil bills tomorrow but they may not come to the House in 30 days as Hon Steven Tashobya is saying [this was also the demand by the House resolution]."

Chairman tells him to expedite the process of bringing the Bills to the House as the leader of Government Business.

1:40pm: Defending his receipt of the letter meant for the Speaker during the two day House debate, the PM says, "It was not necessary for the speaker to read it first before I receive it because it was copied to some other people. I do not know whether the arrangement of the letter is that the addressee should read the letter before those who were copied to read it. The letter was copied to the minister of Ethics and Integrity who gave me a copy and the procedure doesn't matter."

On his view about stepping aside as investigations go on, the PM says, "I am not likely to step aside because as the speaker said the resolution didn't target the Prime minister. But I want to assure you colleagues that i will not interfere with you proceedings in any way. To tell you the truth, I do not even spend too much time following what happens in the committee."

Mr Hussein Kyanjo interjects saying, that the committee has seen instances where the PM has used his powers to influence. "He got a confidential letter meant for the President and even the letter which was meant for the Speaker so he has the power to interfere."

Mr Mbabazi continues to deny each and every allegation put to him in the preliminary questions by the MPs.

"I do not know Kenlloyd Logistics, who are those, maybe I should be asking you [MPS] to be telling me what i do not know," he said.

1:20pm: On whether the allegations were meant to tarnish Mr Clean. Mr Mbabazi says, "The best people to ask are those who created those stories. It is a crime under law to utter false documents. It doesn't matter whether you are an MP."

12:55pm: Mr Mbabazi starts to say, "But I can talk about corruption as leader of government business and the challenges we face in the fight against corruption..."

Mr Hussein Kyanjo interjects, "We raised objections earlier about how Mr Mbabazi answers questions and we agreed that he proceeds. We asked specific questions each one of us, but banding them together in a general manner is not good. Let him go one question by one."

Chairman rules that, "Of course there are some cross cutting questions and if they happen to overlap you can mention that but answer specifically."

Mr Mbabazi says "It appears Hon Kyanjo has a specific manner in which he wants me to answer but me I am answering in my way and maybe he needs to take me through how I should answer to satisfy him. If there is anything that touches a specific issue, I will respond accordingly."

Responding to Hon Bigirwa's concern on why his name often gets mentioned in scandals, Mr Mbabazi says, "Temangalo was not a scandal. I just sold land to NSSF and some colleagues in parliament said I sold the land at an exorbitant price. We debated this, concluded it, it appeared before a parliamentary committee and the committee actually produced two reports; a minority and a majority report and all said the land belonged to me and that the price, 44 million shillings per acre was actually below the market price. The two reports further said I was not involved directly in the transaction, so it is simple logic that I could not have participated and used influence in the sale of my land at a price below the market price."

Cecilia Ogwal interjects saying that whoever asked the question was not interested in knowing the details of what happened, "The issue then was influence peddling and we do not want to go into all the details. the concern now is why you are always cited in corruption scandals."

Mr Mbabazi resumes, "For Chogm, they accused me of having hidden interests but if they were hidden how did they see them [interests]? Why are you calling this oil as a scandal? Have you come to conclusions? I thought I had come to give you information to help you in your investigations. But the way you are talking is like you have made conclusions that this is a scandal."

MP Bigirwa interjects, "Let me clear myself. I am aware about what transpired in Temangalo and Chogm my question is that why is my Prime Minister always named in scandals and whther you think this is a political fight?"

Mbabazi tells him, that he was also just clearing the air , telling him [Bigirwa] and the Public that the Temangalo and Chogm issues were not scandals, "It is too early to conclude that this oil thing is a scandal."

Responding to whether he is aware of an investigation instituted by the president, the PM says that he is aware that the President received documents from a journalist called Andrew Mwenda and that he [the PM] knows about the outcomes of the investigations.

"These documents were found to be forgeries. They were investigated by the police in Malta, London, and the banks that they were alleging said they didn't know about those transactions. And the simple conclusions was that they were forgeries. These documents were sent by the President to the Speaker and he gave a copy of the file to the Vice President and the VC came to the House with the file. But when he moved out to speak with Hon Eriya Kategaya but when he returned to the House, the file had disappeared."

The chairman says that if there is any investigation to be made about the disappearance of the file, it is the Prime minister, Hon Kutesa and the chief Whip who are the ones to be investigated.

But the Premier says that even those who were seated behind the Vice President were also seeing what was in the file and that the committee should widen its scope of suspects. Says that there is nothing very damaging and alarming like Members of parliament stealing in the precincts of parliament.

Mr Hussein Kyanjo is tasking the PM to explain how he got a copy of the investigation report from police and not formally from the President who had instituted the investigation

But the PM says that he was rung by the President who told him about the report and that it was with the Police. "But I was already in parliament because I was meant to be in as the Leader of Government Business and I had been named. and I am on record having told the House that the Vice President was coming to the House with the report. What I have given you is a conclusive report by the police. Whether it was given to the President or not, I do not know."

12:40pm: One; on bribery allegations against me and the other on government responsibility and general development of the oil sector. Let me answer those that I can. If I am the accused, there is an accuser. So in terms of who has the burden of proving the accusation, it is the accuser and my expectations will be to ask some of the those questions you have asked me to the accusers."

Mr Mbabazi continues, "It is not enough that someone throws something on the table and then you call someone who is accused to come and put flesh to what was laid on the the table. Thats not how things work. Things relating to payments, meetings, I have answered that I do not know anything but maybe the accuser knows something about them. So it is the accuser who will help you get that."

About his bank accounts request, the premier rebuts, "I do not even know the relevance of someone asking for my bank accounts because no one has said that I was paid through a particular bank account. So if anyone thinks I was paid, they should be the ones to provide those details. Any allegations against me, are so far, I have never heard any specific allegations that I was given this and that by so and so to do this."

12:32pm: Chairman asks the PM "If you say you know nothing about these allegations, who do you think, you as a senior person in this country, came up with these allegations? And do you think we will come up with something? And have you talked to these people who made the statements in the House to find out who came up with these outrageous allegations?"

Mbabazi starts responding. He says he will categorize the questions into two.

12:27pm: Mr Kyanjo has also asked for all the email addresses, telephone numbers, faxes that the Prime minister has operated in the last six years.

Ms Cecilia Ogwal takes on the minister. She says that basing on the response the Premier has presented, "If I were a teacher marking you, you would be forced to repeat the class."

"If you say that you do not any thing about Eni, how come you knew who he[the company] was during the meeting in South Africa?"

But during the entire questioning time, Mr Mbabazi interjects, correcting the MPs on their use of grammar. But Ms Ogwal tells him that, " I am a qualified economist and am not sure whether you are qualified to challenge me." The minister was challenging Ogwal on the use of He while referring to Eni oil company.

Ms Ogwal also hit back at the Premier when he questioned her use of Super Minister while referring to Prime minister. "In some countries, Prime Minister are referred to as Super Ministers," she said. "You need to read widely in order to fit to be a super minister."

Ms Ogwal further asks the Premier whether he is satisfied with the oil deals that have so far been made on behalf of Uganda and if he has been careful enough to represent the interests of Uganda?

Ms Ogwal further asks whether the PM was satisfied with the terms and conditions in the PSAs.

12:16pm: Mr Mbabazi is asked, "The President said that what was tabled on the floor of parliament were forged documents. That were they were targeted at fighting Mr Clean. Do you see any sense in what we are doing because we are about to travel out of this country to investigate bribery allegations?"

"Why did you lay an uncertified document before the committee? Were you in a hurry or you were panicking?" Mr Bigirwa further asks the Premier to explain the circumstances under which he, during the two day House debates, received a letter which was meant for the speaker.

Ms Grace Freedom has also asked Mr Mbabazi what he feels about his refusal to step aside yet he knows there is a committee investigating him

Mr Hussein Kyanjo asks the Prime minister to respond to the allegation that he got money from Eni promising them a deal to take over from Heritage. But when the deal went "sour" Mr Mbabazi could not deliver the deal and Eni asked him to pay back their money.

That because Mbabazi had already eaten the money, he asked Tullow oil to give him the money which he used to pay back the Eni bribe.

He further asks whether he [Premier] sees any sense in the committee's work?"

He [Kyanjo] further asks the Premier to tell the committee whether he has ever had a meeting with President Zuma's cousin, which same meeting was attend by Mr Kabuchu.

And whether he is associated with a company called Kenlloyd logistics Uganda Limited... and whether he knows about a bank called Bank of Mellon in USA and whether he has had any transaction with it.
Mr Kyanjo further asks Mr Mbabazi whether he ever heard of any investigation instituted by the President into the documents and allegations involving him and his senior ministers and whether he has ever seen or received the findings.

11:57am: Although he said that the company documents he presented before the House were not certified by the registrar of companies, Mr Mbabazi has presented a fresh document and MOU of the said company. They are certified.

He said he first got in touch with Eni during a dinner he hosted a dinner with the President of South Africa.
He also denied claims that he has any relationship with a one Kabuchu who is one of the director of Mineral Services Limited.

Mr Mbabazi goes on to add, "I interpret this to mean blood relationship. But maybe he is a Mukiga, so he can be my tribe mate."

Mr Mbabazi also claims that he is not aware that PSA's were drafted during his tenure as the Attorney General.

Hon Matte asks how many foreign bank accounts the Premier has and asks him to give details.
Mr Matte further asks the Premier to give his view on corruption in Uganda and whether he thinks Uganda will develop amidst corruption in the country.

Hon Bigirwa Junjura asks the Premier why it has always been his name in the corruption scandals. "Are you being fought politically?" he asks.

11:40am: After a close to 15 minutes adjournment, Mr Mbabazi has been called back to the committee and the Chairman rules that because of Mr Mbabazi's position as the Premier, the committee has agreed to allow him present.

Mbabazi has started his submission by saying that the answers he is presenting are the ones he has and that if the committee has any other questions, he will answer them fully.

Some of the questions: Are you the Patron of Eni in Uganda?
No am not

Did you facilitate any meeting with Eni?
No I didn't.

Did you receive any bribe from oil companies? No I didn't
Do you know a company called mineral services limited? Yes and i laid documents about this company in parliament

Did you receive any bribe from oil companies?
No I didn't

Do you know a company called mineral services limited?
Yes and I laid documents about this company in parliament

Does it belong to your daughter Nina Mbabazi and you in law?
No it didn't

Were the documents you submitted in parliament about these companies certified by the registrar of Companies?
No they were not

Mr Mbabazi then lays the documents on the table and says, "I have documents about the particulars of the directors of these company, the secretary

11:20am: Mr Mbabazi has been asked to step out of the ad hoc committee meeting room while the MPs consult among themselves on whether to listen to his submission or not.

While talking to journalists out of the committee, Mr Mbabazi said that is how best he could answer the committee's concerns and that if Mr Hussein Kyanjo wants elaborate answers, he should become a witness himself.

"If they ask you whether you killed your mother what do you respond? You either say yes or no," Mr Mbabazi has said to the journalists, defending his submissions. To most of the questions the committee had asked the Prime Minister, his answer is either Yes or No, or, "Go and ask them."

11:03am: The MPs are contesting Mr Mbabazi's presentation saying he has not answered sufficiently.

Mr Hussein Kyanjo, the MP For Makindye West says Mr Mbabazi does not respect the committee

"He can not come with a few a short answers. That is not sufficient. I pray Hon Mbabazi steps out a bit and we agree amongst our selves on how to continue."

Mr Steven Tashobya defends Mbabazi saying "Let’s do things in the same way we have been doing and treating others. Last time we even listened to people who had nothing to present so asking Hon Mbabazi to go back is not fair."

Mr Matte too, adds to Mbabazi's defence saying, "Matte says that Hon Minister is a learned man and he has answered precisely. Let him present and if we deem it necessary, we can ask him to present a formal submission."

10: 45am: The Uganda Parliament ad hoc committee hearings into the oil sector agreements resume this Tuesday morning. First to appear is Prime minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi. Mr Mbabazi is accused of influence peddling and bribery in the oil deals.

The petitioners, during the two day parliament debate also claimed that Mr Mbabazi is a patron of Eni, an Italian oil company, and that he opened up a company in Europe on whose account his bribes are wired.

Mr Amama Mbabazi is appearing before the committee after the speaker gave a letter of no objection to the committee to listen to him, and Mr Hilary Onek the minister of Internal Affairs.

Last week, the committee cut short a presentation of Mr Hilary Onek on grounds that he refused to adhere to the House resolution 9 (C)which asked them to step aside with immediate effect after the resolutions were passed.

Right now, Mr Mbabazi has just finished taking oath. He has apologized for coming late saying that there are circumstances that have made him come late.