Economy

Namwamba sues Parliament over report

ababu

Former Public Accounts Committee chairman Ababu Namwamba. PHOTO | FILE

Embattled former Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Ababu Namwamba has moved to the High Court, seeking to stop the adoption and implementation of the report that dissolved the committee.

The report dated March 31 also blocks Mr Namwamba and four other members of the disbanded team from seeking fresh nominations into a reconstituted PAC.

Mr Namwamba has sued the National Assembly Committee on Privileges, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney- General.

He wants the reconstitution of a new committee - set to be complete 14 days after the adoption of the report – to be halted until the matter is heard and determined.

The Privileges Committee filed its report following allegations that Mr Namwamba took bribes to alter recommendations in favour of those under investigations. He refuted the allegations.

READ: Ababu refuses to apologise over PAC bribery claims

Mr Namwamba said in court papers that the Privileges Committee did not have powers to recommend the dissolution of another committee or bar individual members from seeking fresh nominations.

“The committee may sanction individual members but it has no powers to either sit in judgement of or to punish another committee of the House,” he said. The Budalang’i MP said the continued implementation of the report would interfere with ongoing investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

“EACC is an independent constitutional commission whose work should not be directed or interfered with by any other authority. By demanding members withdraw and apologise for the information that is already the basis of corruption investigations by EACC, the National Assembly is interfering in the work of an independent constitutional commission,” he said.

Justice Weldon Korir declined to give the orders sought but set a May 6 mention date.

Through lawyer Isaiah Malanda the legislator said that the decision to punish him along with other members of the committed on the basis of unsubstantiated evidence had assassinated his character and exposed him to public ridicule.

Justice Weldon Korir certified the matter as urgent but declined to give the orders sought to stop the operations of the PAC.

The matter will be mentioned on May 6.