Police summons MPs over Shs146b for cooperatives
Combo: MP Mudimi Wamakuyu and MP Michael Mawanda
What you need to know:
- Sources said the CID summoned MP Michael Mawanda and MP Mudimi Wamakuyu, through the Speaker of Parliament, to appear at the CID headquarters, Kibuli, tomorrow afternoon
The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) has summoned two Members of Parliament to help the police in their investigations into the management of Shs164 billion for compensation of cooperative societies that lost funds and property in wars between 1979 and 2006.
Sources said the CID summoned MP Michael Mawanda (NRM, Igara East Constituency), and MP Mudimi Wamakuyu (Elgon County), through the Speaker of Parliament, to appear at the CID headquarters, Kibuli, tomorrow afternoon.
According to copies of the summonses this publication has seen, the police are investigating corruption, theft and conspiracy to defraud Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society and Bumwambu Growers Cooperative Society in respect to compensation for the losses they incurred in past wars.
“Pursuant to Section 27A (1) a & b of the Police Act Cap 303, you are required to come to the Criminal Investigations Directorate on June 19 2024 at 1500 hours at the CID boardroom, to share information that may assist in investigations,” reads a summons by Senior Commissioner of Police Beata Chelimo, the deputy director of CID, to one of the MPs.
MP Mawanda and MP Wamakuyu were required by the detectives to carry certified documents regarding their transactions with the said cooperative societies.
When MP Wamakuyu was contacted yesterday, he said: “I have not yet seen the summons, I have not been around but I will be going to Parliament tomorrow (Tuesday). So call me by 10am tomorrow (today).”
The investigations started on August 25, 2023, when the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, instructed the Parliamentary Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry to conduct an inquiry into the funds to cooperatives between financial years 2011/2012 and 2022/2023.
The police started investigations last December.
The parliamentary committee investigated the allegations and found out that the payments were inflated by at least Shs48b.
Members of Parliament found out that some of the claimants were non-existent.
Allegations
In December 2023, the state minister for Trade, Harriet Ntababazi, revealed that close to 30 MPs were under criminal investigations over their alleged role in the embezzlement Shs164b meant for compensation to cooperative societies.
She made the statement when she appeared before the parliamentary committee on Trade and Tourism to update lawmakers on the performance of the two sectors.
