As the debate on the report by parliaments’ s committee on commissions and Statutory enterprises(COSASE) regarding the closure of even defunct banks resumed today, the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has revealed that the director, financial markets and development coordination at Bank of Uganda, Benard Sekabira is threatening her and the institution of Parliament over the report. […]
As the debate on the report by parliaments’ s committee on commissions and Statutory enterprises(COSASE) regarding the closure of even defunct banks resumed today, the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has revealed that the director, financial markets and development coordination at Bank of Uganda, Benard Sekabira is threatening her and the institution of Parliament over the report.
Outgoing COSASE chairperson Abdu Katuntu who also doubles as Bugweri County MP tabled the report on the closure of 7 defunct Banks by the Central Bank on Thursday last week, but before the resumption of debate on the BoU probe report, Kadaga told the House that Sekabira, who was the liquidator of the closed banks is threatening her with an intention to blackmail her and the institution of Parliament.
She started by noting that Sekabira has written to her raising several concerns in the Katuntu report.
“Since the tabling of the report, I have received a number of documents from Mr. Benard Sekabira, director financial markets, development and Mr. JN Kirklands and Associates who took concerns of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations made by the committee. In order to ensure fairness, I have directed the Clerk to scan the documents and distribute to you-members so that you can take them into account when the debate starts,” Kadaga noted.
“I will give authors of the report to clarify some of the issues raised. However, I would like to take exception to part of the content of Sekabira’s letter where he says that in the event that ‘my requests herein are not met then I will have no option to conclude that you (the speaker) and COSASE’ have treated him with bias. Honorable members, I don’t know Sekabira, I have never met him in my life so I don’t know why I should be biased against him so I find that part of the letter as an attempt to blackmail me and arm-twist parliament and the committees.”
Kadaga warns anyone who is attempting to blackmail Parliament and deter the institution from conducting its constitutional mandate.
“I want to warn that no one can blackmail this House or even the Speaker and they should stop these attempts. I have no interest in the COSASE neither do I have in any committee. I don’t know this man, I have never talked to him or even sat with him and I want to remind the public that the work of the committees are protected by law and it is this House that gives work to the committees. So let no one try to arm-twist and blackmail us in performing our statutory duties given to us by the Constitution,” Kadaga said.
