KAMPALA – The Chief Justice, Bart M. Katureebe, has on Monday, August 19 inaugurated an eight-member Task-force headed by the Inspector of Courts, Ms. Immaculate Busingye, to investigate allegations of corruption in the Judiciary.
The inauguration ceremony, that arrived with changes in the Task-force personnel, took place at the Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala and was attended by different stakeholders.
The CJ has now added Mr. Patrick Barugahare, the Judiciary’s Principal Human Resource Officer, as well as Ms Eva Kentaro-Mugerwa who will represent the Uganda Law Society on the Task-force.
The Chief Justice announced that Mr. Godfrey Kawesa, the Uganda Judicial Officers Association (UJOA) had been recalled from the taskforce “to allow him concentrate on the busy schedule of UJOA and his other docket as lead researcher for the Judiciary”.
The CJ ordered the Taskforce to report to him the progress of the inquiry within 60 days.
“Interface with the investigations team of Vision Group to understand the scope and purpose of their ongoing project on exposing corruption in the Judiciary,” reads one of the four terms of reference to the Committee.
The Corruption Taskforce will receive the media recordings with a view of identifying the implicated Judiciary staff, who would then be invited to have an interface with the Team.
The Taskforce on Corruption has been ordered to make a report to Mr. Katureebe with recommendations on the way forward within 60 days.
The other Task-force members are Mr. Vincent Emmy Mugabo (Registrar/Public Relations Officer), Ms. Susan Abinyo (Registrar/Magistrates Affairs and Data Management), Ms. Rosemary Bareebe (Deputy Registrar Gulu and representing UJOA), Mr. Ayebare Tumwebaze (Assistant Registrar in the Office of the Chief Registrar/Projects) and Mr. Solomon Muyita (Senior Communications Officer).
The Chief Justice said his administration will ensure that any court staff captured receiving a bribe will be dealt with in accordance with the law but critics say there is no way an institution can investigate itself.
