The outgoing Jinja West MP Moses Balyeku has lately been a victim of inaccurate social media reports which indicated that he was on the verge of being arrested along with two other members of Busoga Parliamentary Group executive for which he serves as the Vice Chairman.
The other two members are Mariam Naigaga (Namutumba Woman MP) and Juliet Zabwe Mukoda (Mayuge Woman MP). The two ladies serve as General Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Media reports had indicated that the trio was to be arrested as a way of compelling them to account for Shs240m that had controversially been withdrawn from the BPG’s bank account.
Outgoing Bukooli South MP Godfrey Mayende Dede, who has been chief whip for the Group, says that through the monthly contributions each member has been making, over Shs300m had been mobilized and collected by members to run the affairs of the Group besides being able to help out a member in case of any distressful situations such as bereavement.
Through his lawyers, Balyeku, who was inappropriately portrayed by the inaccurate media reports, explains that the BPG has three signatories who are authorized to withdraw money off the account in Tropical bank and because any two signatories can proceed to withdraw money, Naigaga and Mukoda have over the said period been writing cheques to withdraw the money without him as the Vice Chairman (who is the other authorized signatory) being involved.The lawyers, of Galisonga & Co Advocate, assert that when the anomalous media reports came up, their client took trouble to contact the bank from which he obtained a statement indicating the transactions that took place during the period under review. And that is how and when he became privy to what the two colleagues have been transacting.
Quoting their client, the lawyers state that it will be appropriate to inquire into the circumstances surrounding these transactions to establish the extent to which these withdraws were effected to the detriment of the organization.
Those found culpable at the end of the day could face some sanctioning for acting improperly regarding the Group’s funds.
The lawyers clarify that, much as he is the Vice Chairman, their client never authorized the two to effect any withdraws.
“We wish to clarify that when the said reports on social media started circulating, our client was compelled to procure the bank statements from the bank and peruse the same and has since discovered that the said monies have been withdrawn variously by the caucus Treasurer Hon. Mukoda Julie and the Secretary General Hon.
Naigaga Mariam, every time a transfer was effected by Parliament on to the forum’s account,” the lawyers state in their one page clarification statement.
“Our Client has never authorized any abuse of those funds in all the said transactions as he never signed on any Cheques authorizing the withdrawal of funds.”
