By Our Reporters
Dr. Hassan Galiwango, the Director Finance & Administration at the NRM Secretariat, has come out very strongly to defend a couple of NRM MPs who are facing very frightening investigations by the IGG Irene Mulyagonja. The MPs are part of a bigger group that the Ombudsman is investigating after a whistle blower reported to her office alleging money laundering against them. The whistle blower, suspected to be an envious NRM political insider, disclosed to the IGG the personal bank accounts of these MPs and how colossal sums of money were regularly being deposited on those same accounts in a very suspicious manner. The whistle blower alleged the legislators were being used as conduits to facilitate money laundering. On getting the whistle blower’s petition, Mulyagonja acted with her characteristic swiftness and directed the Director Leadership Code to put together a team of detectives and commence investigations. “There was concern the monies were too huge and far exceeded the usual monthly salary deposits that come through these very accounts every month,” said a source close to the investigations. “What raised even more suspicion was the timing of the money. The whistle blower alleged their accounts were unusually busy handling big money and on examining the accounts, the IGG preliminary investigations established that indeed this was so throughout the campaigning period.” Reliable IG sources explained to this news website that “the investigation was meant to be very wide but many of those originally listed by the whistle blower have had their names dropped after the NRM party leadership wrote letters exonerating many of those originally accused; the party letters clearly show that this was facilitation for the party’s election assignments.” This is something Hassan Galiwango addressed himself to and confirmed what IG sources had earlier told us. Saying he couldn’t readily remember all the others, Galiwango made reference to at least two NRM legislators namely Usuk County’s Peter Ogwang and ex-Bunya MP Vincent Waiswa Bagire who is now PS Ministry of ICT. “That is true he [Ogwang] was entrusted with money because he was central in the activities of the Elect Museveni/NRM taskforce. Remember he was a member of the NRM Caucus executive in Parliament and could therefore not be avoided. He undertook many assignments which required facilitation from the party and he couldn’t have used personal money to do party campaign work,” Galiwango said in relation to youthful Peter Ogwang. Illustrating his point generally, Galiwango said the following about Bagire: “Yes he too was on the taskforce and undertook many assignments. Look at it this way. Somebody is sent to Kabale to do party campaign work and is assigned Shs300m. Does it make sense for him to drive to Kabale with Shs300m? We couldn’t do that because it’s not safe for the money and for him as well. That is why we kept getting those respective leaders’ details and depositing the money on their individual accounts.” Galiwango said it would be prudent for the IGG to drop the very damaging money laundering investigations especially as regards to MPs in whose favor the party leadership has written clearly indicating it was NRM that deposited these monies as facilitation for campaign work. We separately learnt that whereas Ogwang remains very disturbed by the ongoing IG inquiry, Bagire had been let off the hook after the party wrote corroborating his explanation that this wasn’t his but party money meant to do campaign mobilization work. “He acted very professionally because he even gave us more facts regarding another Shs19m that was meant for school fees for his children and his explanation was considered to be genuine, elaborate and credible. He fully disclosed that he had sold his vehicle and even attached a sale agreement on his written explanation. That is why he is actually free as we talk now and it’s the same thing the likes of Ogwang should do to be let go,” said a reliable IG insider close to the investigations. “Many others being investigated are former MPs who didn’t secure reelection in that very period when they handled the money.” This news website tried to reach Ogwang for his side of the story but our efforts were unsuccessful. The man from Usuk didn’t pick our phone calls. Neither did he reply our text messages. For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755!
