President Yoweri Museveni wants police to thoroughly investigate cases of corruption highlighted in the auditor general’s reports, rather than opting for intensive inquiries by parliamentary committees.
While addressing the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Liberation Day celebrations at the Wakitaka Church of Uganda grounds in Jinja City on Friday, Museveni said that, once the auditor general releases reports on corrupt agencies and individuals alike, the police’s investigating arms should take center stage, rather than wasting time in board room dialogues.
His remarks come a few weeks after the Auditor General, John Muwanga indicated that corruption was derailing available efforts of ensuring service delivery, coupled with ghost workers, among other related evils.
President Museveni has argued that corruption is an indication of political failure, which should be disassembled through legal means, instead of opting for systems, which were unable to deter graft before it happened.
He noted that theft of public funds is a form of criminal behaviour, where prosecution procedures are undertaken and all responsible government agencies should be awakened to this fact.
He also accused superpower countries of using their aid, loans and influence to induce third-world nations into bowing to their demands.
Citing the example of Moses Simbwa, who used the Liberation Day platform to accuse some elements within the opposition of bribing him to parade torture claims against the government, Museveni said that, Uganda is built on strong systems to be destroyed by saboteurs.
Simbwa claimed that, he was involved in an accident before the election time, however, opposition politicians promised him a pay of one Million Shillings if he was willing to openly accuse the government of torture before international media.
Simbwa said that he openly agreed to their dealings, however, following months of living in fear, he reached out to the Liberation Day organizers, who offered him a platform to unravel the truth surrounding his situation.
Museveni further said that several intelligence reports have implicated opposition leaders in allying with the western countries to cripple Uganda’s economy and goodwill before the people, but there are plans of exposing them.
Story by URN