Weekly News Round-up
12th-18th July 2010
Uganda’s main media houses last week reported a number of important issues that Uganda Correspondent feels its weekly readers deserves to know about; just in case they missed out. Read excerpts from those stories in our news round-up here.
IPC women sue police over alleged assault
By Our Staff Writer – 12th-18th July 2010
Women politicians belonging to the Inter Party Cooperation [IPC] last week sued nine police officers over alleged assault and torture. The sued officers include Mr Grace Turyagumanawe [Deputy Director in Charge of Operation], Mr Moses Kafeero [Kampala South Metropolitan Police Commander], Ms Grace Akulo [Commissioner of Police] and Ms Judith Nabakooba, the Police Spokesperson.
The women led by Forum for Democratic Change Women’s league Chairperson Ingrid Turinawe, want the High Court to order the officers to compensate them for the injuries suffered and damage caused during the alleged torture.
In their petition, the women alleged that on June 14th 2010 at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court, they were attacked, assaulted, battered, undressed and tortured by police officers under the command of Turyagumanawe, Kafeero, Akulo and Nabakooba. They accuse Ms Nabakooba of acting unprofessionally and in a partisan manner and that she portrayed them as rioters and criminals who associate, assemble and demonstrate illegally.
The women who had planned to peacefully march to the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala to demand the resignation of EC Chairman Eng. Badru Kiggundu, said two of their colleagues were seriously injured after the alleged torture and were admitted at Nsambya Hospital. They now want court to issue an injunction that will restrain the named police officers and are also seeking orders directing appropriate authorities to punish the officers for the alleged criminal acts.
Excerpts sourced from: www.monitor.co.ug
Government approves biggest oil sale
Government of Uganda has approved the sale of Heritage Oil assets to its former partner Tullow Oil. With a stroke of the pen, the Minister of Energy Mr Hilary Onek also made history by approving the single biggest transaction in Uganda’s history. “We have approved the sale on condition that Heritage Oil deposits 30 per cent of the ($404 million which is about Shs1bn) assessed capital gains tax on the transaction with the Uganda Revenue Authority”; Mr Onek told the media.
The technical head of the national petroleum programme Ernest Rubondo, for his part, is reported to have said that “…these were essentially two approvals”. He said government had on the one hand allowed Tullow to buy the assets from Heritage on conditional terms and on the other approved Tullow’s partners in the transaction, Total and the CNOOC [China National Offshore Oil Corporation].
The deal worth 1.5 billion dollars [Shs3.3 trillion—nearly half Uganda’s annual budget] had been held up in part because Heritage had refused to pay 30 per cent capital gains tax levied on it and secondly because government was studying how the trilogy [Tullow, CNOOC, and Total] would operate.
The remaining 70% would be secured by a Bank guarantee executed by Heritage until such a time when the tax dispute is settled through arbitration. This means that if the dispute is resolved in the favour of Heritage, then the government and people of Uganda will not get a cent in taxes.
Excerpts sourced from: www.monitor.co.ug
Abuse of diplomatic passports worries MPs
It has happened before, and it is happening again. In 2007, a couple of Ugandans who were travelling on diplomatic passports were arrested in the UK on suspicion money-laundering. Ms Irene Birungi, a former aide to Museveni’s young brother Gen. Salim Saleh who was State Minister for Micro-finance at the time, was convicted for drug trafficking in the UK. The criminal, it was discovered, was actually travelling with a Ugandan diplomatic passport that is reserved for top government officials.
And the rampant abuse of diplomatic passports by powerful people in Museveni’s government continues. Last week, the Daily Monitor reported that the debate on the continued abuse of diplomatic passports took centre stage as the Public Accounts Committee of parliament interrogated Internal Affairs Ministry officials.
The Committee, the report said, has demanded for a list of officials holding diplomatic passports and their recommenders. It also ordered Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary Stephen Kagoda to produce passport files for Ugandans who were arrested in Kenya for alleged drug trafficking.
The two, Anne Birungi Bisaso and John Mugisha, were allegedly arrested with cocaine and that the latter claimed to be a diplomat with Uganda’s High Commission in Kenya. “We want to know those people and on whose recommendations you are issuing diplomatic passports to criminals”; MP Tom Kazibwe said. He added that “…these people are tarnishing the name of our country yet they are using diplomatic passports to smuggle cocaine and this must stop”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala has however denied being Mugisha’s employer. However, to expedite the investigations into the abuse of diplomatic passports, that tough talking PAC Chairman Nandala Mafabi, and FDC MP, ordered Dr Kagoda to bring Birungi’s passport file to the committee immediately and the details of all other diplomatic passports in two weeks time.
Excerpts sourced from: www.monitor.co.ug
14 testify against MP Otto in gun charge
The government owned Newvision newspaper reported last week that more than 14 witnesses had made statements to police implicating MP Odonga Otto [FDC Aruu County] in a case in which the MP is accused of drawing a gun at a pump attendant at a fuel station in a Kampala suburb. Police also said MP Odonga Otto had made a statement at Katwe Police Station. It now emerges that the MP has since said he wants to withdraw his statement on the grounds that at the time he recorded it, he was “not in control of himself”.
Kampala South Police boss Moses Kafeero said of the witnesses, 14 were passengers aboard a commuter taxi which was at the station when the incident occurred. They all implicated the MP. “We have a huge file and about 20 people have recorded statements over the incident”; Kafeero said. The youthful MP deposited his firearm with a policeman on guard at the Parliament gate after he had been ordered to surrender it.
Excerpts sourced from: www.newvision.co.ug
Electoral Commission has over 70 bank accounts
The Kiggundu-led Electoral Commission it seems, is not only under fire for its staggering incompetence and alleged bias towards the ruling NRM. Last week, The Newvision reported that the beleaguered EC had also been quizzed about operating 70 bank accounts in various districts without the authorisation of the Accountant General.
According to the Auditor General’s report to Parliament for the year 2008, the accounts were never disclosed or bank statements availed for audit as of June 30. The report also revealed that the commission did not have authority from the Treasury to open the 70 bank accounts. “I was not able to confirm the correctness and completeness of the cash balances reflected in the financial statements”; the Auditor General said.
In a meeting with EC officials led by the Secretary Sam Rwakoojo, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee demanded an explanation as to why the commission had spent over three years operating what they described as “illegal accounts”. “The law is clear. Prior to opening an account, you must seek permission from the Treasury. Short of that, we consider the accounts illegal and they should be closed”; Committee Chairman Nandala Mafabi said.
In his response, EC’s Sam Rwakoojo said the commission had written to the Accountant General for permission but strangely added that “I am not sure whether we got it”. The MPs gave Rwakoojo three days to get authority from the Treasury or close the accounts.
The committee also heard that the EC had failed to account for a whopping 114m shillings out of 1.2b shillings that had been sent to various districts for the election of youth and women councillors in the 2005/6 financial year. Peter Mutuluza, an NRM MP, also faulted the EC for failing to stop people who had already started campaigning before the official declaration. “They are holding meetings, putting up posters, campaigning and disorganising our people. What is the commission doing about it?” he asked.
Excerpts sourced from: www.newvision.co.ug
