Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has temporarily halted the hearing of a corruption case involving three Members of Parliament.
The MPs Lwengo District Woman MP Cissy Namujju Dionizia, Bunyole East MP Yusuf Mutembuli, and the Busiki County MP Paul Akamba are accused of soliciting a 20 percent bribe from the Uganda Human Rights Commission to influence the passing of its budget.
The court on Wednesday presided over by Justice Lawrence Gidudu ruled that it will first consider an application filed by Akamba, who seeks to have the charges against him dismissed.
Akamba alleges that his human rights were violated during and after his re-arrest two months ago.
Akamba through his new lawyer Jude Byamukama, said when he was rearrested on June 14th 2024 shortly after securing bail in the lower court, he was detained in an ungazeted facility for seven days before he was produced in Court on other charges. Akamba was rearrested by security personnel outside Court premises after securing bail at 13 million shillings. He was later charged with six others including MPs Michael Mawanda, Mudimi Wamakuyu, Trade Permanent Secretary Geraldine Ssali Busuulwa, Ministry of Trade official Leonard Kavundira and Lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankonko who are equally still on remand.
Byamukama said besides Akamba’s non-derogable rights being violated, he was also assaulted.
The lawyers representing Mutembuli and Namujju who are not party to the application as it only lists the Attorney General as the only respondent said were not privy to the application.
Mwesigwa Rukutana who represents Namujju said if indeed there is a pending application, they will leave it to the discretion of the court to decide.
In his ruling, Justice Gidudu said that Akamba’s application presented the name of the Attorney General as the sole respondent yet he (the Attorney General) who is supposed to make a response to the case was not in Court.
Gidudu then ordered Akamba ‘s lawyers to serve the Attorney General with their application before the end of business today and fixed the hearing of his application on August 23rd 2024 .
The matter was expected to proceed with cross-examination of the Uganda Human Rights Commission Chairperson Mariam Wangadya the complainant and first Prosecution witness who already presented her evidence in Chief against the MPs.
In her testimony, Wangadya pins Namujju, Mutembuli and Akamba for having demanded a bribe worth 20 percent of the Commission’s budget to exert pressure and undue influence on Budget Committee members of Parliament to increase the budget.
Wangadya’s testimony also indicates that she recorded the conversations regarding her meeting with the three MPs at Hotel Africana where the bribe was solicited from.
Efforts for the prosecution to tender the audio evidence have since been futile at this stage as the trial Judge says Wangadya is not a sound expert and therefore not competent to be the one to tender that audio which she later submitted to the Police for investigations.
The court’s decision to prioritize Akamba’s application means that the main case will be put on hold until the issue is resolved. The outcome of Akamba’s application may have significant implications for the future of the case.
Akamba has now been further remanded until August 23rd and bail for his co-accused persons also extended pending the outcome of his application.
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