Former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Eng. Charles Muganzi has faulted government for not seeking court redress regarding a case it lost to a Chinese company regarding the standard gauge railway.
Chinese Civil Engineering Company dragged government to court last year to contest the cancellation of a Memorandum of Understanding to upgrade the existing railway line and won the case.
While appearing before the select committee probing the project today, Eng. Muganzi expressed disappointment over government’s decision not to appeal the case yet it could have been disputed.
A group of legislators has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, calling for the reconstitution of the select committee investigating irregularities in the standard gauge railway project.
Addressing the media at Parliament today, members of the African Parliamentarians’ Network against Corruption say the committee has succumbed to directives of President Yoweri Museveni, seen through his call to the committee to meet American lobbyist, Rosa Whitaker.
MPs Gerald Karuhanga, Matthias Mpuuga and Martin Drito say this is a total disregard of the principle of separation of powers.
However, the chairperson Kafeero Ssekitoleko denies this, asserting that the committee’s work is done independently.