Kampala. The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has blamed the Judiciary and the police for failing to effectively prosecute major corruption cases.

Ms Irene Mulyagonja also told a parliamentary committee on Thursday that there is a tug-of-war between different courts while indicating there is a “live conflict” between the inspectorate and the police.

For instance, MPs on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee heard that the trial of former top Public Service ministry officials implicated in the Shs165 billion pension scam hit a dead end after High Court stopped the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) from including Cairo International Bank on the charge sheet.

The Anti-Corruption Court this week dismissed the case in which the nine officials were on trial on grounds that the State had failed to adduce enough evidence over two years. The DPP is slated to reinstate the case.

The IGG also cited an inquiry she had launched into the disputed procurement of a contractor for the $2.2 billion (Shs5.9 trillion) Karuma Hydro power Project where the High Court ruled that the IGG had no powers to investigate the matter. Other major graft cases she pointed out are the Office of the Prime Minister scandal in which more than Shs60 billion was stolen by officials, and the Katosi road fiasco where Shs24 billion was paid to a construction firm in what now appears to be dubious circumstances.

With that background, MPs demanded that the Inspectorate opens an inquiry into police officers who investigated the pension scam.

“The failure by the police to produce evidence after three years was suspicious. Do you not find it suspicious enough to warrant an investigation against the particular officers who were supposed to bring evidence and failed?” Busiro East MP Medard Ssegona asked.

But the IGG instead blamed the courts, saying the Constitutional Court should shed more light on how lower courts should handle graft cases.

“The DPP started the prosecution and had several suspects to prosecute, including a bank. In the course of the prosecution, the bank runs to a civil court and it stops the prosecution. Now, the DPP has powers from the Constitution, the court has powers from the Constitution. Why is it that a constitutional body in the civil realm is interfering with another constitutional body in the criminal real?” Ms Mulyagonja said.

On the clash between the police and the Inspectorate in investigating corruption cases, the IGG explained that there is a need to streamline mandates.

Some failed cases

Karuma project. The IGG said her inquiry into the disputed procurement of a contractor for the Shs5.9 trillion Karuma Hydro Power Project was rejected by the High Court.

Office of the Prime Minister scandal in which more than Shs60 billion was stolen by officials. Katosi road fiasco where Shs24 billion was paid to a construction firm in what now appears to be dubious circumstances.