The former director of supervision for commercial banks at Bank of Uganda, Ms Justine Bagyenda, on Monday snubbed Parliament’s Appointments Committee, which was scheduled to vet her appointment to the Board of the Financial Intelligence Authority.
Ms Bagyenda was scheduled to appear before the House’s Appointments Committee at 11:40 to defend her appointment but did not appear.
She, according to some sources, informed the committee that she was out of the country.
However, some members of parliament cautioned the appointments committee against approving Bagyenda who is still under investigation by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) over allegations of illicit accumulation of wealth while a motion demanding that a Select Committee be set up to investigate the operations of Bank of Uganda and her role in the closure of Crane Bank is on the Order Paper of Parliament.
“We are calling upon her wherever she is to either resign or talk to the appointing authority to reconsider leaving her name out,” Mr John Baptist Nambeshem, the Manjiya County MP, said.
Mr Silas Aagon, the Kumi Municipality MP asked: “As government, do we have some procedures we follow? If somebody is going to be a member of Financial Intelligence Authority, what kind of a person are we going to put there? As a person am even questioning, who is this person who appoints people just anyhow?”
Besides the MPs, the appointments Committee had also received a number petitions against Bagyenda based on the fact that she was still the focus of various investigations stemming from her time at the Central Bank.
Meanwhile, the committee reportedly cleared other candidates appointed to the FIA Board, including Mr Leo Kibirago, the chairperson, Mr Patrick Ocailap, and Ms Patricia Mutesi.
Also cleared are Ms Jane Okuo Kajuga and Dr Patricia Achan Okiria who were appointed commissioners to the human rights body.
Daily Monitor
