The Minister for lands Betty Amongi faces arrest if she does not appear before the commission of inquiry into land matters on Tuesday May 8, 2018, reports Isaac Baligema.
The commission reached the decision on Monday morning (May 7, 2018) after the Minister failed to appear for the third time before the commission to answer various allegations put against her.
The Minister, whom the commission issued criminal summons last week on Friday, wrote to the commission and explained that she will not be able to appear on Monday as she had to retrieve information and seek guidance from the cabinet.
The assistant lead counsel for the commission John Bosco Ssuuza read the Minister’s communication to the commission.
The commission chair Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire in a rather raised tone said that; “The commission has attempted to engage the minister since April 3, 2018 and she wrote back that she will not be able to appear, the commissioned again summoned her but she never responded to the summons and this is now the third time! I will state, the Minister is hereby granted the final criminal summons to appear before this commission tomorrow on Tuesday May 8, 2018 at 9am and failure to appear, the commission shall be left with no option but to issue a warrant of arrest against the Minister,”.
The commission wants to engage the Minister on various issues including allegations of influence peddling and dictating who is paid through the land fund, her involvement in the reported fraudulent takeover of two prime properties at Mengo and Kololo through the Departed Asians Custodian Board (DACB), among other issues.
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