Big Story: Ssegona begins tough at COSASE

The new Chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE) Hon. Medard Lubega Ssegona has started his roles on a high notch by dismissing officials from the Financial Intelligence Authority(FIA) who had appeared to answer audit queries that were cited in the Auditor General’s Report implicating the agency in mismanagement of funds.

According to Ssegona, the Committee had invited the Accounting Officer, but he instead delegated a team claiming to be on leave which angered the Chair prompting him to dismiss the team, and ordered them to appear again on Thursday this week with the Accounting Officer Mr. Samuel Wandera.

Ssegona did not allow any member to proceed on the matter, and further cautioned the F.I.A officials to inform their boss that an invitation to a Parliamentary Committee is not a love letter, but rather a summon which must be adhere to and therefore cautioned the Accounting Officer to avoid using lame excuses such as leave excuse to dodge appearing before the Committee.

The Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) is a government agency established by the Parliament of Uganda to monitor, investigate, and prevent money laundering in the country. It is also responsible for the enforcement of Uganda’s anti-money laundering laws and the monitoring of all financial transactions inside the country’s borders.

What awaits to be seen is if the FIA Executive Director will turn up on thursday as directed by the committee or will wait for criminal sermons to be issued for him as stated by the committee Chair if he absconds himself again without valid reasons.

Busiro East legislator Ssegona replaced Nakawa West MP Joel Bisekezi Ssenyonyi after he was appointed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) at the end of last year.