The Chief Justice, Bart M. Katureebe, has Monday morning inaugurated an eight-member Taskforce, headed by the Inspector of Courts, Ms. Immaculate Busingye, to investigate allegations of corruption in the Judiciary.
The ceremony took place at the Judiciary Headquarters in Kampala attended by different stakeholders. According to the Office Instruction No. 4 of 2019 dated July 30, 2019, the Taskforce will report back to the Chief Justice 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 would thereafter make a report to the Chief Justice with recommendations on the way forward within 60 days.
The other Taskforce 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), Mr. Patrick Barugahare (Principal Human Resource Office), Ms. Eva Kentaro-Mugerwa (An Advocate to represent Uganda Law Society) and Mr.
Solomon Muyita (Senior Communications Officer).
The Chief Justice substituted one member, the UJOA president – Mr. Godfrey Kawesa, with an executive member to allow him concentrate on the busy schedule of UJOA and his other docket as lead researcher for the Judiciary.
He equally added to the taskforce Mr. Patrick Barugahare, the Principal Human Resource Officer – Judiciary as well as Ms Eva Kentaro-Mugerwa an advocate representing Uganda Law Society.
On July 9, the Chief Justice welcomed efforts by Vision Group to expose acts of bribery and corruption tendencies in the courts. Justice Katureebe subsequently had an interface with the media organisation’s top editors, partly to commend them for the efforts, but also caution them against sensationalizing the issue of corruption in the courts.
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.
He said the Judiciary shall continue to encourage court users and the public to use the available fora to come out and give evidence for firm action to be taken against the errant court staff.
