By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: The once very influential and powerbroker, Ms Justine Bagyenda, former Bank of Uganda (BoU) Executive Director for commercial banks supervision, has been dropped from the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) board and replaced with BoU lawyer ceiling all chances of Bagyenda’s return to the board as she had earlier been re-appointed by Finance minister Matia Kasaija.
During the session chaired by Speaker herself Rt.Hon.Alitwara Rebecca Kadaga, Parliament’s Appointments Committee Monday approved Mr Titus Wasswa Mulindwa as the best replacement to troubled Bagyenda.
Ms Bagyenda’s appointment by Finance Minister Matia Kasaija in July 2018 caused uproar from the public as she was still under investigation over commercial bank’s closure.
Fearing that this would heavily jeopardize the on-going investigations, with the public uproar, Mr Kasaija back-tracked and dropped Ms Bagyenda from the board, saying that at the time of her appointment, inquiries into alleged money-laundering and closure of banks had not yet commenced.
At the time of her disputed appointment, Ms Bagyenda was under investigation by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) over allegations of illicit accumulation of wealth. She would later be variously questioned by COSASE over the closure of commercial banks.
The other FIA board members who have already been approved by Parliament are; Mr Leo Kibirango as chairman, Patrick Ocaillap, deputy secretary to the treasury and Grace Akullo, CID Director.
The FIA was established under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2013 to combat money laundering activities.
