KAMPALA – Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, Anita Among, has condemned the government’s handling of the arrest of Member of Parliament, Paul Akamba, who was taken into custody by plainclothed security forces despite having secured bail.
“As you are aware, some of our colleagues are going through an investigation,” Among said. “We held a meeting yesterday with the heads of investigative bodies and we will get a report on the discussions we had, especially on the brutal arrest not only of our members but everybody outside there. We need to respect the rights of our citizens,” she added.
Three Members of Parliament (MPs) accused of budget corruption have been sent to the High Court for trial following their arrest last week. Mr. Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East), Paul Akamba (Busiki County), and Cissy Namujju (Lwengo District Woman) were committed to the High Court for trial after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said police had concluded their investigations into the case.
Only Mr. Mutembuli and Ms. Namujju appeared in the dock at the Anti-Corruption court presided over by the chief magistrate, Joan Aciro. Mr. Akamba, who was violently arrested by gunmen in civilian clothes after being granted bail on June 14, was a no-show in court, with his lawyers questioning his whereabouts.
Prosecution alleges that the three legislators solicited a bribe of 20 percent from Ms. Mariam Wangadya, the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission (UHRC), on May 13, 2024, at Hotel Africana. They allegedly claimed they could influence the Parliamentary Budget Committee to increase the UHRC’s budget for the 2024/2025 financial year in exchange for the bribe.
