Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa on Tuesday 29th appeared before Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee with other officials from the ministry to defend the budget.
During the interface, Kawempe North legislator Hon Latif Ssebaggala tasked minster Sam Kutesa to expound on allegations of an international travel ban against him over allegations that he accepted bribe during his tenure as the president of UN General Assembly.
Hon Latif Ssebaggala asked; “Most of your work are outside, we also hear that our minister cannot move out, as a country we lose, so Mr minister I will request you to clarify whether as we campaign to retain this very important global centre, are you in position that you can move freely?”
“Let me inform you that this committee meeting was postponed; why because I was in Brussels, so I am not under any threat. I travel whenever duty calls,” Minister Kutesa replied
He further explained why two senior Telecom company employees were deported.
“They were deported because they engaged in activities which undermine national security. no country in the world would tolerate this and Uganda is not exceptional,” he added
Kampala high court had set February 25th to start hearing Kutesa’s alleged corruption case filed by a one Brian Atuhaire.
Atuhaire also wants court to declare that Hon Kutesa is not fit to hold a public office, and also wants government through the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) to commence criminal proceedings against him.
“The president of republic of Uganda on December 10th 2018, referred to the bribe as a gif which is an acknowledgement of the fact that the money was indeed received and, in this case, the first respondent Kutesa ought to have declared the gift to the inspector of government,” Atuhaire said.
In his affidavit in support of this matter, Atuhaire alleges that Kutesa while serving as a foreign Affairs minister in May 2016 received a bribe worth $ 500,000 from Hong Kong Home Affairs Minister Patrick Ho chi-ping contrary to Sec 2 (a) 5 (iii) of the Anti-corruption Act 2009
Atuhaire says failure of the DPP to take any action against the minster and his continued stay in office contravenes article 83 of the constitution.
He adds that Kutesa serving as Foreign Affairs Minister yet he received bribe contrary to section 2(a)5(iii) of the anticorruption act of 3029 adding that he ought to be forced to relinquish his position with immediate effect.
The Attorney General told parliament last month that he would soon table a report in regard to his investigations into bribery claims against Minister Sam Kutesa
