Land probe: Tough guidelines issued to attend committee hearings
The chairperson of the commission of inquiry into land matters, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire speaks during one of the public hearings. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- “Those who think you are very powerful and you are going to intimidate our witnesses, we did not come from Kampala to be intimidated here, be warned we are watching, the whole government machinery is watching you, so if you think you are highly connected, you were born connected, leave those connections behind the gate and attend the hearings like any Ugandan,” she warned.
- The commission continues with hearings today with officials from Tooro Kingdom expected to appear before the probe team.
As a security measure, more strict guidelines have been issued for someone to attend the hearings of the ongoing land probe.
This is intended to safe guard the commissioners and the witnesses from any possible harm.
The chairperson of the commission of inquiry into land matters, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, on Tuesday issued tough guidelines for the public hearings currently being held at Mountains of the Moon hotel in Fort Portal town.
Before she closed the hearings on Tuesday, Justice Bamugemereire said; “With effect from tomorrow (Wednesday), no person shall be allowed to carry a mobile phone inside the hall.”
She said that security will deny access to the hearings to any person carrying a mobile phone.
Justice Bamugemereire said that since Monday when public hearings resumed in Rwenzori sub region, “there are suspicious people with hidden motives who have been attending the hearings since Monday and are a threat to the commissioners.”
She asked all the people that would attend future hearings to leave phones at home.
Justice Bamugemereire also said that no security officers except the commission’s security detail, will be allowed to enter the venue of the hearing with firearms.
“We would like to advise all people who work with armed forces, those who hold the firearms to leave them at the gate,” she said.
Justice Bamugemereire also warned against intimidation of witnesses. Without mentioning names, she said that the commission had received reports that some witnesses who have appeared and those yet to testify have been intimidated.
“Those who think you are very powerful and you are going to intimidate our witnesses, we did not come from Kampala to be intimidated here, be warned we are watching, the whole government machinery is watching you, so if you think you are highly connected, you were born connected, leave those connections behind the gate and attend the hearings like any Ugandan,” she warned.
The commission continues with hearings today with officials from Tooro Kingdom expected to appear before the probe team.
