Ministers hit back at MPs in row over foreign travel

While the American embassy in Kampala said they have not received any request from the MPs to blacklist ministers, the Public Affairs Officer at the embassy Ms, Joann Lockard said the US regulations provide for such sanctions upon thorough investigations.

Ministers who supervised Chogm projects have protested a planned move by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to ban them from travelling abroad until they have accounted for their actions in the alleged abuse of funds.

Some ministers who talked to Daily Monitor yesterday accused MPs of dramatising the inquiry into the alleged abuse of public funds, saying they were not cowards to run away from interrogation.

“We cannot run away, some of us have attended committees before and there is no need to worry,” Works Minister John Nasasira said. “All we need is to harmonise the time for these meetings. In any case, we are not the accounting officers I don’t know why this should be made a big thing.”

Ministers’ frenzied reactions came a day after PAC said it had agreed with Speaker Edward Ssekandi to write to the Prime Minister to ban cabinet ministers from travelling abroad until they have appeared before the probe. Committee chairperson Nandala Mafabi also demanded that the ministers’ passports be impounded and appealed to donor countries to blacklist the officials and deny them entry permits and visas.

Donors react
While the American embassy in Kampala said they have not received any request from the MPs to blacklist ministers, the Public Affairs Officer at the embassy Ms, Joann Lockard said the US regulations provide for such sanctions upon thorough investigations.

Officials of the European Commission to Uganda declined to comment on the matter. The calls to block the officials’ travel came after ministers Hope Mwesigye (agriculture), Sam Kutesa (foreign affairs) and Serapio Rukundo (tourism) skipped scheduled hearings before PAC, claiming they were busy and had to travel out of the country.

Avoid drama
Defending his Cabinet colleagues, Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo warned MPs against “dramatising” proceedings, adding that the call to impound passports was very radical. “Why should ministers be banned from travelling abroad? The committee should know that these are government ministers and the notion that they might run away is not being serious,” Dr Buturo said yesterday.

“They are just complicating issues. Ministers have to come back and appear at the Chogm probe. Impounding their passports and banning them from travelling abroad is diversionary and the committee members should avoid such.”

While Mr Kutesa and Ms Mwesigye were unavailable to comment on the matter, the junior Finance Minister Fred Omach also protested the move to ban him from travelling abroad, insisting that he was willing to appear before the committee to explain what happened with the Chogm funds.

Willing Omach
“Banning us from travelling abroad and impounding our passports is uncalled for,” Mr Omach said. “Some of us are willing to appear before the committee and explain our part without any hustle.” Mr Nandala Mafabi yesterday said the committee would insist on the “radical” measures if the ministers continued to be “dodgy”.
“We are trying to be diplomatic but whoever fails to appear as per the new committee programme is going to be picked by police,” Mr Mafabi said. “We are going to write to the Vice President and other ministers with new dates to appear before PAC. Otherwise, whoever wants to travel should first account for taxpayers’ money.” PAC has already heard evidence suggesting that Prof. Bukenya and other senior ministers “arm-twisted” permanent secretaries in respect to various procurement deals in which billions were lost.