LAISSEZ-FAIRE ATTITUDE AT ATTORNEY GENERAL’S CHAMBERS COSTLY- PAC
…… Attorney general to be summoned

By OLIVER SAMBOKO
THE Attorney General’s chambers has been put under the spotlight for failing to defend government institutions when they are taken to court over contractual disputes.
THE Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) observed that because of the laissez-faire attitude at the attorney general’s chambers, government is losing a lot of resources whenever a consent judgement is passed in favor of individuals or entities that sue the state.
And PAC Chairperson and Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament Warren Mwambazi, said the committee is going to invite the Attorney General at the end of the sitting to ensure that some concerns are dealt with.
This came to light yesterday when the Ministry of Education appeared before PAC to answer queries in the 2020 auditor general’s report.
Chadiza Member of Parliament Jonathan Daka observed that the Attorney General’s chambers don’t attend to court cases and as a result, the government has continued losing cases through consent judgements.
Mr Daka said there is need to investigate what goes on in the Attorney General chambers so that the wastage of resources can be stopped.
He said whenever they cases against government, the attorney general doesn’t defend the cases in court hence the high number of consent judgements which is resulting in the government losing money.
Mr Daka proposed that the attorney General should be summoned to appear before the committee to explain why the office has not been serious with defending cases before the courts of law, especially those where the government has been sued for money.
“I proposed that PAC should summon the Attorney General to appear before us and explain the high number of consent judgements,” he said.
He said the Attorney General should make the committee understand why the office which is supposed to defend the government doesn’t do its work and the only thing they do is to wait for the courts to make judgement and thereafter rush to sign the papers.