Ssenyonyi now blames Speaker Among for her doings as Shs1.7b Airlines scandal starts to bite

Kampala, (UG):- The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi has publicly criticized Speaker Anita Annet Among for mishandling the investigation into Uganda Airlines.

Ssenyonyi revealed that during the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) investigation into the airline’s operations, the Speaker directed that the proceedings be held behind closed doors, excluding journalists and the public.

In his statement, Ssenyonyi expressed strong disagreement with this directive. He argued that keeping the investigation private was unnecessary and contrary to the transparency that should accompany such inquiries.

“During COSASE investigations into Uganda Airlines, Speaker Anita Among wrote to me this letter “guiding” that I should have closed-door proceedings and keep journalists out of the committee room. I disagreed with her “guidance” because I didn’t see any reason to shield Uganda Airlines from public scrutiny,” Ssenyonyi said in a post via his X account on July 19.

According to Ssenyonyi, similar investigations into other entities had been conducted publicly with media access, and there was no justification for treating Uganda Airlines differently. “We had been investigating all other entities publicly with the media present, so I didn’t see why the corruption in Uganda Airlines shouldn’t be exposed publicly.”

Ssenyonyi also criticized the Speaker for holding a meeting with the CEO of Uganda Airlines during the investigation. He questioned the appropriateness of this meeting, suggesting it may have been an attempt to influence the investigation or shield the airline from scrutiny.

“Meanwhile, the Speaker held a meeting with the CEO of Uganda Airlines during our investigation, something which I didn’t think was appropriate. All of these machinations were proof that the Speaker wanted to cover up the corruption in our Airlines, no wonder she frustrated the report,” the NUP Legislaor for Nakawa West stated.

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Ssenyonyi asserted that these actions indicated a deliberate effort by the Speaker to cover up alleged corruption within Uganda Airlines. He claimed that the Speaker’s interference was a tactic to obstruct the investigation and hinder the exposure of potential corruption.

Letter from the Speaker

The controversy centres around a letter sent by Speaker Anita Among to the Chairperson of PAC-COSASE on August 22, 2022. In the letter, the Speaker acknowledged the progress of the COSASE inquiry but emphasized the need for a balance between accountability and business continuity.

She suggested that due to the sensitive nature of the audit queries, the investigation into Uganda Airlines should be conducted in closed sessions to prevent potential negative impacts on the airline’s operations.

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