A few days after parliament resolved to investigate the oil cash bonanza, an official from the Electoral Commission (EC) has filed an application in the Constitutional Court seeking to block the process ChimpReports has learnt.
This website broke the story of how Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) made payments of over Shs 6bn to high ranking government officials in different ministries as a reward (akasiimo) for winning the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) case against Heritage.
A total of 30 members of Parliament, led by Parliamentary Commissioner, Peter Ogwang would later form a group to demand for action against senior government officials who rewarded themselves, and investigate the bonanza.
According to the application filed Monday January 9th, Eric Sabiiti, a legal officer with the Electoral Commission seeks an interim order restraining parliament from investigating the oil cash bonanza, an act he says is illegal.
The petitioner says he is aggrieved with the illegal decision by parliament to investigate and or inquire into the decision by the President as Head of State and “Fountain of honor to pay cash bonuses to government officials for a commendable job they did.
“It is an interference with exercise of executive powers and violation of the doctrine of separation of powers which contravenes and is inconsistent with the Constitution,” says Sabiiti in his petition.
According to Sabiiti, investigation into the cash bonanza would be an interference with the work of the executive.
The Electoral Commission lawyer says that investigation into the Oil cash bonanza is premature and interference with the Constitutional duties of the Auditor General as enshrined in the Constitution.
“Investigation by parliament into the cash bonanza is an interference with the independence of the Auditor General and is inconsistent with articles 163 (6) and 2 of the Constitution.”
The petitioner says that such an investigation is null and avoid and seeks an order barring parliament or any other person from launching any investigations into the said payments.
“The investigation by parliament should be barred until the Auditor General has audited the said expenditure and submitted a report to parliament in accordance with the relevant laws,” Sabiiti through his petition to the Constitutional Court further says.