Former Minister Esther Mbayo under Investigation over Embezzlement of Funds

The former Minister of the Presidency, Ester Mbayo is under investigation over alleged abuse of office by the time she served as the Minister.

According to the criminal summons issued by the Director Criminal Investigation, Julius Twinomujuni on September 13th, the current Luuka District Woman Member of Parliament is said to have misused her office from the period 2019 to 2021.

“The Directorate of Criminal Investigation is investigating allegations of abuse of office, embezzlement and causing financial loss of Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation where you were a supervisor of the said corporation from 2019 to 2021,” Twinomujuni noted in the summons received by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament.

Mbayo was thus required to appear at CID headquarters in Kibuli on September 15th, 2021 before Ag. CP Economic Crime and Financial Intelligence for a statement in respect of the said investigation.

The former Minister didn’t report to the CID on grounds that she was out of the country as she revealed yesterday in Parliament during a debate on the rearrest of the opposition legislators Muhammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana.

Mbayo told Parliament that she found it not right for the CID to summon her through a phone call without having gone through proper procedure of writing to the Office of the Speaker.

“I received a call from the CID and informed them to go through the right procedures, later I received a call from the Speaker on the same who I formed that I was out of the country but would respond once I return,” Mbayo said.

The Speaker Jacob Oulanyah told the house that he advised the CID to issue fresh summons once the Member returns to the country but to date he hasn’t received any new summons.