By Frank Kamuntu
The Minister of State for Trade, Harriet Ntabazi, has disclosed that 30 Members of Parliament are currently facing criminal investigation over their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of Shs164 billion earmarked for Cooperatives compensation.
Appearing before Parliament’s Trade Committee, Ntabazi said that among the implicated individuals are five opposition MPs who she described as ‘noisy and talkative.’
She added that the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) has taken on files related to the case, with approximately five files already concluded.
“We aren’t scared; we shall undertake it because it is now beyond us. We are before the security investigatory organs of the Government. Let us battle out there, and the law will have it all,” Ntabazi said.
These officials are accused of colluding with law firms to misappropriate billions of funds designated for compensating cooperatives for losses incurred during the liberation war and insurgencies.
It’s worth noting that following intelligence reports, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni earlier this year directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to work with the Internal Security Organization – ISO on what he termed as “massive corruption” in the war loss compensations to cooperatives.
As a result, ISO and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit launched an investigation into the issue focusing on Busoga Growers Cooperatives Union Ltd, Jinja Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society and Namisindwa District based Buyaka Growers Cooperative Society and since these investigations commenced, a couple of government officials have been arrested.
