Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Mbise enquiry team seeks to complete task in two weeks

DAILY NEWS Reporter
Engineer Hosea Mbise
THE five-people team formed to probe the suspended Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Affairs in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Engineer Hosea Mbise, is expected to accomplish its task in the next two weeks, it has been learned.
“The inquiry team should have completed the task by now but they requested for additional two weeks after which they will present their report to me,” the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry, Professor Justin Ntalikwa, told the ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview.
Eng Mbise was suspended from the powerful position in March, this year, pending investigations into a number of alleged misdeeds. The Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Affairs is charged with supervising the lucrative petroleum and natural gas.
Other responsibilities falling under the portfolio include management of the electricity sector, new and renewable energy as well as energy development. Subsequent to suspension of Eng Mbise, the former Assistant Commissioner in the same portfolio, Eng Norbert Kahozya, was promoted to Acting Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Affairs. Responding to questions from this paper yesterday, the PS explained further that the probe team had questioned all responsible parties regarding the matter.
“The inquiry has taken long but the team, which is made up of commissioners, has assured me the work will be accomplished after two weeks,” the PS explained. Early last month, Prof Ntalikwa confirmed to have suspended the commissioner but declined to explain the alleged wrongdoings.
He explained further that legislations and regulations of the land require that once a commissioner has been suspended for any wrongdoing and there is a need to form a commission of inquiry then such a team should be led by an official with a rank of a commissioner or above from within the public service.
It has not been clear what really prompted the PS to suspend Eng Mbise from the powerful position as Prof Ntalikwa would not reveal much information in the matter

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