According to the Auditor General, the debt portfolio comprised of secured, poorly secured, unsecured and unknown loans amounting to 135 billion Shillings from Greenland Bank, International Credit Bank and the Cooperative Bank.
The Greenland Bank loan portfolio was 66 billion Shillings, The Cooperative Bank Portfolio stood at 47 billion Shillings while the International Credit Bank (ICB) portfolio stood at 21 billion Shillings. Out of the total 135 billion loan portfolio, only 34 billion Shillings was secured with properties.
However, in December 2007, Bank of Uganda, with advice from JN Kirkland Consultants, signed an agreement with Nile River Acquisition Company to sell the debt portfolio for the three banks at USD 5.25 million. During the time, the US Dollar was trading at 1676, which amounted to 8.8 billion Shillings.
Today, Bagyenda was tasked by the committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to explain her basis for selling the loan portfolio at a low price.Bagyenda said that for over eight years the Central Bank had been selling off the assets of the three banks and they were of the opinion that those that they had failed to sell were not that good. She insisted that the Central Bank hired M/S Bageine, a private firm to carry out the valuation of the bank assets. However, she could not table the valuation reports before the committee.
COSASE Chairperson Abdu Katuntu asked Bagyenda to work with the current team at the Central Bank to ensure that all valuation reports are availed to determine the next course of action for the committee. However, Bagyenda declined, saying she cannot return to the bank, in the wake of allegations that she stole documents from the Bank.
Bagyenda’s appearance before the committee this morning ended weeks of speculation on her whereabouts. She had snubbed the committee on three various occasions, with communication that she had traveled to Houston, in the United States for the International Trauma Summit.
Today, clad in a purple suit, Bagyenda arrived at parliament by 10 a.m., in the company of her lawyer Allan Nshimye. They had to wait for more than 30 minutes before the first legislator arrived. Unlike other occasions, Bagyenda was composed all through the meeting, while responding to querries from each of the members.
Bagyenda returns before the committee on Tuesday for questioning in relation to a report by the Central Bank Security Director Milton Opio which detailed how she smuggled bags which are suspected to have been containing critical documents.
Two of Bagyenda’s aides; a driver and a bodyguard, are currently held by the Parliamentary Police on grounds that they lied under oath after giving contradicting accounts regarding the stolen documents from the central bank.
