The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Joel Ssenyonyi, has accused four Parliamentary Commissioners of allocating themselves an additional Shs 400 million each in what he described as “service awards.”
Ssenyonyi said the money was channeled through the Parliamentary Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization (SACCO) to conceal the transactions.
Those named include Prossy Akampulira Mbabazi (Rubanda Woman MP), Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba (Nyendo-Mukungwe MP), Solomon Silwany (Bukooli Central MP), and Esther Afoyochan (Zombo Woman MP).
“This money was apparently intended to see them through the campaign season,” Ssenyonyi told journalists during a press briefing at Parliament on Tuesday.
He dismissed claims that he too had received a Shs 650 million service award, calling the allegation a diversion meant to cover up the latest payout to the commissioners.
“These leaders, through their agents, have been spreading propaganda that I was also given a service award. That is completely false. Even if such money were sent to my account, I would immediately instruct my bank to return it because under-the-table money is illegal and irregular in every sense,” Ssenyonyi said.
The LoP revealed that he had previously written to the then Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Kamya, regarding an earlier service award, but no investigation was carried out.
He said he would not write to the current IGG, Aisha Naluzze Batala, as he had no confidence that the matter would be investigated.
“It is important that we are accountable to Ugandans. My duty is to keep the government in check,” he emphasized.
However, Parliament’s Director of Communication and Public Affairs, Chris Obore, dismissed Ssenyonyi’s claims as false and baseless.
“We have not paid out any money. If Hon. Ssenyonyi believes such payments were made, let him produce the pay slips. Parliament pays through the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMIS), and no one, not even commissioners, can be paid outside that system,” Obore told journalists.
He added, “Ask Hon. Ssenyonyi to provide his pay slip since he advocates transparency. We are tired of the continued blackmail of an institution of government with falsehoods.”
Obore also denied reports that Ssenyonyi had received Shs 650 million, calling the claims “amateur blackmail.”
“There is no way Ssenyonyi could have been paid that money. It’s a total lie,” Obore stated.
The Source Reports.
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