Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) and Bank of Uganda officials were on Wednesday treated to free drama when an aide to former Executive Director, Supervision, Justine Bagyenda protested her appearance before the Committee, Parliament has no powers to summon her.
Juliet Adikot, the bodyguard to Bagyenda had been summoned by COSASE to provide responses to the role she played when the Bank of Uganda CCTV Cameras captured her carrying bags suspected to be key documents out of the Central Bank in total breach of the Bank’s security.
COSASE Chairman, Abdu Katuntu explained to her why she had been summoned.
“The reason why we require you is that you were captured on CCTV carrying bags which didn’t go through the security system and a team of MPs went and viewed those CCTV. We are going to have a conversation with you about your actions. You are going to tell one Committee what happened, why you bypassed the security system, if you know the contents of the bags, what did you carry out?” Katuntu said.
However, Adikot, who chose to introduce herself as an aide to Bagyenda pleaded to say something, to which Katuntu obliged on condition she first takes oath.
“According to our Police Standing Orders, I am not supposed to appear before any Committee or Court without the authorization of the IGP,” Adikot said.
This angered MPs.
“You are going to say everything there is only one law that is in this country which is superior, that is the Constitution. Your standing orders are subject to the constitution. If you read the constitution, I refer you to article 90, your standing orders are inferior, if anybody ever charges you, this Committee takes full responsibility,” Katuntu schooled her.
He added: “The actions of you carrying the bags were personal, the person seen carrying those bags is you, not Bagyenda. You are going to tell us what you carried, why you bypassed the security system. We want to know what luggage you carried, you don’t need permission from Bagyenda, you are going to take full responsibility of what you carried out of the bank.”
Adikot will appear before a select Committee led by Francis Takirwa (UPDF Representative), Andrew Aja (Kabale Municipality), Nathan Itungo (Kashari County) and Betty Muzanira (Rukungiri Woman) who will question other Bank of Uganda officials, Charles Omoro, Job Turyahebwa (Bagyenda driver) and Beatrice Kyambadde, Security Assistant who manned security around the department when the bags left the Bank.
