New Vision (Kampala)
Madinah Tebajjukira
9 July 2009
Kampala — THE judiciary pays Justice Peter Onega's salary, although he has chaired the Amnesty Commission for the last nine years, MPs heard on Wednesday.
Under the salary structure approved in March this year, a High Court judge earns about sh9m. From the commission, Onega gets about sh2m per month, bringing his pay to about sh11m.
The commission's secretary, Damiano Kato, told the committee on state enterprises that Onega is only paid sh100,000 allowance per working day. The issue was first highlighted in the Auditor General's report for the financial years 2001/2008, which is under scrutiny by the committee.
Kato explained that the rate was determined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which appointed Onega in 2000. Kato told the committee that he wrote to the internal affairs ministry over the matter, adding that they responded by saying there was no irregularity.
"Are you aware that this is double payment? Why do you earn a salary for nine years, yet you are not productive?" asked Ssebuliba Mutumba (DP), who chaired the committee. Onega said it was indicated in his appointment letter that he would continue getting his salary as a judge as well as a daily sitting allowance at the commission.
"This is not my fault. I have been getting this money with the knowledge of the appointing authority. If the appointing authority thinks otherwise, I should be advised and I will chose which job to take," Onega said.
However, the MPs insisted that it was a crime and advised Onega to apologise.
Besides Onega, the Kampala district settlement team manager, Agnes Sekiboobo, also gets allowances from the commission and a salary from Makerere University where she is a full-time lecturer.
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