NEWS- More 2 MPs have been arraigned before the Anti-corruption court and remanded to Luzira prison on charges of diverting public resources. This now brings the number of jailed MPs to five on corruption charges.
Among them is the Igara East MP Michael Mawanda Maranga who is alleged to have diverted one billion and 50 million shillings that was meant to compensate war loss victims through Buyaka Growers cooperative society in Bulambuli district. Mawanda is the chairman disciplinary Committee for the Patriotic League of Uganda, a pressure group railing for first son Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s bid as the next president of Uganda.
In court, Mawanda instructed a team of seven lawyers led by former Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukuntana to defend him against the allegation. But they were not ready to apply for bail because they claimed their client had been held incommunicado in police custody and didn’t get time to interact with him. Rukutana asked the court that MP Mawanda’s bail application be deferred.
MP Mawanda has been jointly arraigned alongside the Busiki County MP Paul Akamba who is freshly charged in this court for diverting 200million shillings worth war victim compensations. Akamba was last week on Wednesday charged together with his 2 jailed counterpart MPs, Cissy Namujju and Yusuf Mutembuli for corruptly soliciting a 20% kick- back on the enhanced budget for the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
He was after 2 days on remand granted 13million shillings cash bail but was immediately re-arrested at the Anti-corruption Court on different charges. The pair is jointly charged with the Elgon County MP Iganatius Wamakuyu Midimi who allegedly stole 2.391 billion shillings and an advocate Julius Kirya Taitankoko who also bagged 2.228million shillings from Government that was meant to atone for war loss victims.
The group is further charged with conspiring with a principle cooperative officer of Ministry of Trade and Industry Kavundira Leonard to divert another 3.448 billion shillings for Buyaka Growers cooperative society Ltd. 59 year old Kavundira has not been in court but prosecutors informed court that he has also been arrested by the State House Anti-corruption unit and he will appear in court on Monday 24th June for plea taking.
However before fresh charges were read to MP Akamba, he was first committed to stand trial before the High court for allegedly soliciting a 20% kick-back on the anticipated enhanced budget of UHRC. He now joins MPs Cissy Namujju and Mutembuli who are at Luzira prison waiting to appear before the High court after the magistrate cancelled his earlier bail.
His lawyer Robert Mackay said he too needed time to interact with his client and was not ready to make a fresh bail-application. The 5 have however denied the charges they are said to have committed between 2019 and 2023 before chief magistrate Joan Aciro. They have been sent on remand at Luzira prison pending trial because prosecution’s Edward Muhumuza reported complete inquiries but asked the magistrate to remand the suspects for 14 days. The Mps have been remanded to prison until 9th July 2024when they will re appear in court for mention of their case.
