Law firm on the Spot for failing to pay 39 billion to Kigezi Tea Farmers

Internet Source

Parliament has given the owner of Pathways Advocates Patrick Kiconco Katabbazi five-days to account for 39 billion shillings advanced to his law firm to compensate 142 Kigezi tea nursery bed farmers.

The affected tea nursery operators in the districts of Kabale, Rukungiri, Kanungu, Kisoro, Rubanda, Rukiga, Ntungamo, Mitoma, Mbarara, and Isingiro sued government over failure to buy their seedlings following a presidential pledge in 2008.

The government through the National Agriculture Advisory Services (Naads) paid the law firm to compensate in an out-court dispute settlement.

The Bukimbiri County MP Eddie Kwizera raised an alarm that out of the 142 beneficiaries from Kisoro, only five beneficiaries had been randomly sampled and it is possible they were never paid their money.

The executive director of Naads Samuel Mugasi was tasked by Parliament to explain where the problem came from.

Mugasi, while appearing before the committee tabled evidence confirming that Naads disbursed the money in two instalments of 27 billion and 12 billion respectively to Katabbazi’s law firm to effect the farmers’ compensation.

Parliament has summoned Katabbazi to appear before the committee with the list of the beneficiaries, their bank details, the amount of funds each one received, and the national identification numbers.