Defence Principal secretary Mutea Iringo yesterday admitted that he
talked to Runyenjes MP Cecilly Mbarire over the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) report on confidential expenditure in the Office of the
President.
The PS, however, refuted claims he offered bribes to PAC members to delete any adverse mention of his name in the report. He also admitted having talked to Kesses MP James Bett but denied claims he used his phone to talk to Budalang’i MP and PAC chairperson Ababu Namwamba over the same report.
Iringo admitted having known Bett before he became an MP when he worked at the Government Printer while he served as Interior PS, Iringo, however, said his relationship with Namwamba and all other committee members was purely work-related .
He said he has never given any MP any money as a bribe. Iringo told parliamentary Committee on Powers and Privileges yesterday that the phone call to Mbarire was mainly to complain that the committee had failed to include his views in the final report despite him spending three days justifying how the expenditure was used.
He said during the time of investigations, he gave clear information on how the money was spent, adding that he accounted for every penny. “I did not communicate to any member during the time I was being grilled and the time of writing the report.
After the report came out, that is when I called Hon Mbarire and asked her “how come this report does not reflect what I said because it is actually criminalising me.” Muhoroni MP James K’Oyoo, however, asked Iringo to explain why he chose to talk to Mbarire and not Namwamba or any other committee member.
The PS could not explain but only said: “ I do not know the reason, I just called her.” And when pushed to explain what Mbarire told her during the conversation, Iringo said Mbarire explained that some of the recommendations were made because the MPs failed to reach consensus on the report while others declined to sign it.
Iringo said the allegations of bribes being levelled against him amount to “character assassination” by people who are hell-bent on tarnishing his name. He alleged that this was not the first time that his name is being tarnished as it happened in 2013 when he was accused of embezzling Sh12 billion.
The PS, however, refuted claims he offered bribes to PAC members to delete any adverse mention of his name in the report. He also admitted having talked to Kesses MP James Bett but denied claims he used his phone to talk to Budalang’i MP and PAC chairperson Ababu Namwamba over the same report.
Iringo admitted having known Bett before he became an MP when he worked at the Government Printer while he served as Interior PS, Iringo, however, said his relationship with Namwamba and all other committee members was purely work-related .
He said he has never given any MP any money as a bribe. Iringo told parliamentary Committee on Powers and Privileges yesterday that the phone call to Mbarire was mainly to complain that the committee had failed to include his views in the final report despite him spending three days justifying how the expenditure was used.
He said during the time of investigations, he gave clear information on how the money was spent, adding that he accounted for every penny. “I did not communicate to any member during the time I was being grilled and the time of writing the report.
After the report came out, that is when I called Hon Mbarire and asked her “how come this report does not reflect what I said because it is actually criminalising me.” Muhoroni MP James K’Oyoo, however, asked Iringo to explain why he chose to talk to Mbarire and not Namwamba or any other committee member.
The PS could not explain but only said: “ I do not know the reason, I just called her.” And when pushed to explain what Mbarire told her during the conversation, Iringo said Mbarire explained that some of the recommendations were made because the MPs failed to reach consensus on the report while others declined to sign it.
Iringo said the allegations of bribes being levelled against him amount to “character assassination” by people who are hell-bent on tarnishing his name. He alleged that this was not the first time that his name is being tarnished as it happened in 2013 when he was accused of embezzling Sh12 billion.
No comments:
Post a Comment