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Busiki County Member of Parliament Paul Akamba has been committed to High Court for trial on charges of soliciting a bribe from the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commisison Mariam Wangadya to have the Commission’s budget for the financial year 2024/2025 passed.
On June 17th 2024 the Anti-Corruption court presided over by Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro Committed his two co- accused MPs; Cissy Namujju, the Lwengo District Member of Parliament and Bunyoli East’s Yusuf Mutembuli to stand trial.
However, MP Akamba was a no show after being re-arrested by security operatives immediately after he was granted bail.
However, the troubled MP has not been allowed to go home, since he is charged once again on fresh charges with MPs; Michael Mawanda(Igara East) and Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu (Elgon County).
The trio is accused of divertng over Shs73m meant to compensate war veterans.
On these fresh charges, Akamba, Muduni and Mawanda are jointly charged with City Lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankoko and Leonard Kavundira, the principal cooperative officer, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
According to the committal papers presented before Court, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) says she will prove that the accused persons are guilty basing on evidences including among other things: CCTV footage showing the three MPs arriving at Hotel Africana in Kampala in their respective cars, Call Data records showing communication between Wagandya and the MPs and other audio recordings.
According to the DPP’s summary of evidence against, Hon.Mutembuli, Namujju and Paul Akamba in 2023, Mariam Wangadya; the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commisison led her team to the legal and parliamentary committee of parliament to present the budget framework of the UHRC.
That while still in the prencists of parliament, Wangadya interacted with MP Mutembuli who offered to help her with the UHRC financial challenges if only she could remit to him and his undisclosed friends 5% of the enhanced budget.
Mutembuli is said to have asked for the telephone details of the UHRC accounting officer and Wangandya’s business card before meeting with the accounting officer at the UHRC offices in Naguru and further insisted on his alleged 5% to havd the said budget enhanced.
And that it was after this interactions thaf Wangandya reported Mutembuli’s demands to President Museveni who promised to handle the matter but on the13th of May 2024, Mutembuli called Wangadya to meet at Hotel Africana to discuss the said matter with other very important people.
According to the intended eviddence, Wagandya then approached a security personel and asked for a recording device and proceeded to Hotel Africana where she met Mutembuli, Namujju and Akamba at Elgon restaurant in Hotel Africana.
The three MPs are said to have offered to help Wangadya with the commission’s financial issuesbut had increased their demands to 20% inorder to influence members on the budget committee and officials in the Ministry of Finance .
Evidence further shows that all the said interactions were recorded by Wangadya before their arrest.
The suspects will now stay on remand until court sets a date to hear their case.