Parliament staff skip CID summonses, face arrest

massive anti-corruption investigation targeting the leadership of the Ugandan Parliament has reached a critical tipping point.

More than six high-ranking parliamentary officials have been given an ultimatum to report to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters today or face immediate arrest.

The ultimatum follows a string of skipped police summonses over the last two weeks. According to a senior security source, the officials have gone into hiding and remain unreachable on their known contacts. Investigators say their testimony and the withholding of key parliamentary documents are severely stalling the ongoing probe. While security agencies have declined to officially release the identities of the missing officials, the dragnet appears to be tightening around those closest to the legislature's inner circle.

The escalation follows a tumultuous week for the head of the legislature. Former Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, officially withdrew her candidature from the speakership race for the upcoming 12th Parliament. In a statement addressing her sudden exit, Among stated, “I pledge to continue cooperating with all ongoing investigations as initiated by the relevant organs of the state to get to the root of all the allegations raised.”

Despite her pledged cooperation, joint security teams have moved aggressively over the weekend, executing raids on Among’s various residences across the Kampala Metropolitan Area and her offices at Parliament.

So far, police have seized at least eight luxury vehicles, large sums of cash in multiple local and foreign currencies and reams of financial and administrative documents.

The investigation has also turned its focus toward the very officers tasked with protecting the legislature's leadership. Several police officers formerly attached to Among have been arrested and detained.

Interrogations have reportedly revealed a deeper systemic issue. Sources close to the investigation allege that these officers not only concealed criminal incidents but actively participated in moving illicit funds to and from several unverified sources without alerting state financial watchdogs.

With several security aides having fled just before the initial residential raids, a nationwide manhunt is currently underway. Investigators warn that time has officially run out for any remaining parliamentary staff attempting to evade the grid.