The Clerk to Parliament has asked Speaker Rebecca Kadaga to convene a crisis meeting days after Inspector General of Government (IGG) warned she could be prosecuted for disobeying the Inspectorate’s orders.

A warning letter from IGG Irene Mulyagonja informed Ms Jane Kibirige she would be dragged to court if she refuses to interdict the director, House Budget Office, Mr Samuel Wanyaka, who faces corruption accusations.

The IGG on January 3, wrote to Ms Kibirige, the Clerk to Parliament, asking her to stay “internal” investigations into the alleged transgressions of Mr Wanyaka.

The clerk was directed to either interdict the official or be prosecuted under Section 35 (C) of the IGG Act for “disobeying the orders of the Inspectorate without reasonable excuse”.

A person who disobeys IGG orders without reasonable excuse commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred fifty currency points (about Shs3 million) or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.

Parliament’s spokesperson Helen Kawesa confirmed that the clerk has handed the IGG’s letter to Ms Kadaga and that the issue was being handled “urgently” as requested by the IGG. Ms Kawesa, however, explained that the decision to interdict staff is vested in the Parliamentary Commission and not the clerk.

“The IGG letter to the clerk was given to the Speaker who chairs the Parliamentary Commission to internalise and take action,” Ms Kawesa said, adding that the Speaker would summon an emergency meeting to discuss the IGG’s letter on the latest allegations of corruption in Parliament. She said the decision on whether to suspend the “internal” investigations will be decided by the commission. Ms Kawesa said: “The commission has to first sit and discuss the way forward. We cannot just disrespect the IGG investigations, we are going to follow the law and respond to her letter accordingly.”

A planned commission meeting to discuss the matter flopped yesterday after members failed to turn up. One of the commissioners, Elijah Okupa, said the commission was not aware of investigations into Mr Wanyaka’s conduct and that they only learnt about the alleged probe from Daily Monitor. He said the IGG should go ahead and probe the director.

Speaking to journalists at Parliament, Ms Kibirige said the House commission and IGG were handling the matter since the whistleblower petitioned both of them. “We are handling this matter as institutions not as individuals. We are finding out the facts through investigations. The allegations can be true or false, but both institutions are investigating the matter before drawing conclusions,” she said.

While the clerk claims that Parliament was still investigating the matter, the IGG directed Parliament to stay any disciplinary proceedings against Mr Wanyaka over corruption complaints stated in a letter dated December 9, 2013, pending the Inspectorate’s investigation.

The IGG said Mr Wanyaka occasionally submits false accounts, grossly misused funds for Gender Budgeting Project that was funded by UNDP/Joint World Partnership, abuses government vehicles, engages in double funding and absents himself from work.

Ms Mulyagonja also observed that he is a “fraudulent man” who uses “blackmail” and “real threats”.

In her December 9, 2013 letter, the IGG ordered the Clerk to interdict/suspend or cause the interdiction/suspension of Mr Wanyaka from carrying on the functions of his office until the investigation is completed so that he does not suppress evidence or intimidate witnesses within Parliament as he threatened to do.

The IGG insists she cannot leave the matter to the Parliamentary Commission because she claims that Mr Wanyaka boasted before an IGG official that if they didn’t help kill the case, he would have it moved to the Parliamentary Commission where it would die.

Background to the kibirige woes

On December 30, the Daily Monitor reported that the IGG had written to the Clerk to Parliament, directing her to interdict Mr Wanyaka (pictured) to pave way for investigations into what she called “grave allegations” against the director. The IGG listed a dozen of complains brought against Mr Wanyaka. Because of camaraderie between heads of departments and internal politics, the IGG’s says, authorities in Parliament would be able to handle the Wanyaka affair.