By Our Reporter
The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has remanded three Members of Parliament (MPs) to Luzira Prison on charges of corruption. The MPs are accused of soliciting money from the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) in exchange for increasing its budget.
- Yusuf Mutembuli (representing Bunyole East) resides in Bweyogerere Kirinya, Kira Municipality, Wakiso district.
- Paul Akamba (representing Busiki) is a resident of Kyanja Balagade Rise, Nakawa Division.
- Cissy Namujju Dionizia (Lwengo Woman MP) resides in Nambu village, Kigo, Wakiso district.
The legislators spent two days in police custody before being arraigned in court. Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro presided over the proceedings, during which the MPs were charged with one count of corruption.
According to the prosecution, on May 13, 2024, at Hotel Africana in Kampala, the MPs allegedly solicited an undue advantage of 20% of the anticipated UHRC budget for the financial year 2024/2025 from Mariam Wangadya, the UHRC chairperson. They claimed they could exert improper influence over the parliamentary budget committee to secure the budget increase.
Despite the charges, the suspects denied any wrongdoing and have applied for bail through their respective lawyers, led by Asuman Basalirwa. The case remains under investigation, and the court continues to verify the documents presented by the sureties.
The prosecution led by state attorney Nicholas Kawooya informed court that investigations into this case are still ongoing and prayed for an adjournment. Namujju presented Muhammad Ssentayi, the Bukoto West MP, Hajji Hassan Bulwadda, owner of Bulwadda Clinics located at Buwada Mall Gayaza Road who is also her business partner and longtime friend and Ssemmwanga Gyavira MP for Buyamba County in Rakai as her sureties.
She also deposited her passport with the court. Akamba presented MPs Mariam Naigaga NamutumbaIki, Robert Kasolo and MP Henry Kibarya Mourice as his sureties. Mutembuli on the other hand presented Namukose Minsa Kirya, a community development officer in Mukono who is his sister as his surety.
The lawyers for the accused persons told court that the offences were not grave in nature and that even if they were convicted, court can only jail them for just ten years or they would be ordered to refund the money.
On their part, the prosecution asked the court for more time to verify the documents presented by the sureties like identification cards and LC one letters from the chairpersons. According to prosecutor Kawoya, they also want to verify the LC 1 letters presented by all the accused persons which he said requires more time.
The accused persons will return to court on Friday for a ruling on their bail application. The magistrate said it was too late for her to write her decision. Trouble for the accused persons started last week after President Yoweri Museveni presented the State of the Nation Address where he disclosed that he has overwhelming evidence of the corrupt public officials.
Museveni said MPs allegedly collude with accounting officers in the ministry of Finance and Bank of Uganda to make allocations of public resources in exchange for kickbacks (bribes) and promised to crush them. Museveni revealed that the facts before him confirmed long-standing rumours he had of corruption at the heart of government, especially during the annual appropriation of taxpayers’ money.
He floated an idea of possible amnesty to the corrupt MPS but majority of the legislators interrupted his speech in disagreement.
