Three troubled MPs return to Anti-Corruption Court today

Three Members of Parliament (MPs) who were on Wednesday this week remanded to Luzira Prison over alleged corruption are expected to return to the Anti-Corruption Court today.

They return for mention and ruling on whether the state should be given more time to verify their surities’ documents.

The trio was remanded by the Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro on charges relating to soliciting a 20% undue advantage from the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Mariam Wangadya.

Two of them are former members of the powerful Budget Committee which undertakes preliminary scrutiny of national revenue and expenditure estimates before a final appropriation by parliament.

The MPs are; Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East), Paul Akamba (Busiki South) and Cissy Namujju, (Lwengo District).

All the accused MPs subscribe to the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

If found culpable, the MPs face up to a ten years imprisonment term or a fine of Shs 4.8m.

They were arrested on Monday following concerns by president Museveni that there are corrupt MPs who collude with officials from the Ministry of Finance during budgetary allocations.

The accused MPs were then summoned and reported to the Criminal Intelligence Directorate in Kibuli before they were locked up at Kira Police Divisional Headquarters from where they were later taken for a search at their respective homes.

According to prosecution, the MPs on May, 13th, 2024 at Hotel Africana solicited from the UHRC Chairperson 20% of the anticipated enhanced budget of her commission for the financial year 2024/ 2025; promising to influence the decision making of the budget committee of parliament to increase the commission budget.

They however denied corruption charges before the Chief Magistrate Aciro after State Prosecutor Kawooya Nicholas informed court that police incetsigations were still on-going.

The MPs are represented by laywers; Asuman Basalirwa, Mwesigwa Caleb and Richard Rugambwa among others.

Written by Ruth Anderah