The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Nobert Mao has cautioned the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions not to fall prey to impostors who want to use the office of the president to interfere with Judicial operations.
Mao says that there are unscrupulous individuals masquerading as State House employees with the intent to interfere with the work of the judiciary.
Mao added that people claiming to be working for State House were previously at the Ministry of Justice but he has since dispersed them. He noted that they would extort money from unsuspecting citizens claiming that they would help them to pursue compensation on their behalf.
But on this, he directed the Prosecutors that if anybody comes to them claiming to be from State House, they should tell them that they will meet in court where the Prosecution is always done but not through phone calls.
Mao made the remarks while officiating at the handover of 42 Vehicles worth more than 7 billion Shillings for Prosecutors operating from hard-to-reach districts to help in the execution, supervision and coordination of their work. The beneficiaries are from the districts Amuru, Agago, Kisoro, Pader, Hoima Kibaale and Rukungiri among others.
According to Mao, there are people who contact prosecutors to tell the police to stop investigating certain cases. However, he asked them to be aware of their constitutional mandate and dispense justice expeditiously, instead of being pushed by people he described as speed governors.
Mao says that while politicians tend to think that the DPP has a problem with them, they need to ask themselves how their names land in the books of the DPP if they didn’t commit any wrong or participate in such. He added that the DPP has nothing personal against suspects, and should not fear or be threatened while executing her constitutional mandate.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo appreciated the government for giving them vehicles saying that they have lessened her burden of receiving complaints from prosecutors mostly in hard-to-reach districts/areas saying they are unable to reach some of the courts, especially in areas like Bududa.
Speaking at the same event, the Undersecretary of the Office of the DPP Agnes Kayinza cautioned the beneficiaries of the vehicles against misusing and personalizing them. She said the vehicles are attached to offices and not to individuals.
Poor transport is one of the challenges that the office of the DPP has been facing in recent years. The others include under-staffing and poor remuneration.
However, a few months ago while presiding over the Annual Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture in Munyonyo, President Yoweri Museveni announced a tax waiver on all salaries for Prosecutors attached to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and a salary increment, so as to match with their counterparts with same qualifications in the Justice system.
The Justice Ministry has since assured the Prosecutors that the government is committed to improving their welfare.
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