Mbabazi to be Arrested Today, says Aide Dickens H Okello The leader of Pro-Mbabazi protests being arrested by anti-riot police personnel on Wednesday in Kampala (Photo: Kenneth Kazibwe) Former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi continues to live under fear of arrest and these suspicions grew stronger this week as the ruling party prepares for the national delegates’ conference which his supporters are planning to disrupt. On Friday morning, the spokesperson of an NRM wing that supports Mbabazi for president, issued a brief statement, saying security intend to arrest the party’s embattled Secretary General. “It’s getting known that there are plans to have Rt Hon Amama Mbabazi arrested today (Friday) ,” said Thomas Kategere, who has in recent months been mobilising support for the former premier in the Eastern region. “I hope it’s not true. I don’t know what motivates some of these fellows who hold such ideas and thoughts of having divergent views muted like this .It’s a pity,” he added. Deputy Police spokesperson Polly Namaye could not confirm or deny plans to arrest Mbabazi. “The IGP will address a press conference today. It would be an opportunity to ask him that question,” said Namaye on Friday morning. However, Police spokesman Fred Enanga said Mbabazi’s group only wants to score political points and that there is no plan at the moment to arrest the former premier. “Those are just political games. There are no plans of arresting Hon. Mbabazi,” Enanga said on phone. He quickly added that should police discover that Mbabazi is involved in acts that break the law, they would not hesitate to apprehend him. “We can only act when someone including Hon. Mbabazi commits a crime,” he warned. There has been talk in corridors of power that Mbabazi, who was sent on forced leave by his party on charges of intrigue, forming cliques and undermining the NRM chairman, would soon be arrested and charged in courts of law for money laundering and attempting to overthrow the government. Mbabazi in November directed lawyers A & P Akampurira to ask the Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura and Director of Public Prosecution Mike Chibita to grant him particulars of the alleged offences, which he described as “politically motivated” and “trumped up” to curtail his “fundamental freedoms.” Mbabazi’s lawyers wrote on November 5: “We jointly act for and on behalf of our above named client. Our client’s attention has been drawn to various print and electronic media reports indicating that your respective offices are conducting criminal investigations against him in connection with some Arab investors associated with National Bank of Commerce with intent to charge him with trumped up serious criminal charges of fraud and money laundering which are politically motivated.” They added: “If the above is true, our client takes a very serious view of the matter. It is our considered opinion that this is a gross violation of the criminal principles of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and criminal law.” Mbabazi is thought to have persuaded wealthy oil barons in Dubai to invest $20m in NBC which was later closed by the Central Bank in 2012 and handed over to Crane Bank at the cost of $1. “Bank of Uganda has revoked the license of the National Bank of Commerce (U) Limited and ordered the winding up of its affairs under Sections 17(f), 89(2)(f) & (7)(c) and 99(1) of the Financial Institutions Act 2004,” said BoU deputy governor, Louis Kasekende in September 2012. “This action has been taken because bank of Uganda has determined that the continuation of NBC’s activities is detrimental to the interests of its depositors,” said Kasekende. It is thought the investor in NBC had refused to cooperate with police in the investigations, fearing that Mbabazi would not be apprehended given his status in the ruling government. It remains unclear if Museveni met the defrauded Arab investor during the president’s recent trip to United Arab Emirates. Protests Chimpreports this week reported that Mbabazi’s supporters resolved to storm Mandela National Stadium to protest against the party’s decision to front Museveni as its sole candidate in the 2016 elections. Addressing journalists in Kampala on Monday morning, Mbabazi supporters explained that Museveni violated the party constitution when he allowed for the passing of the sole candidature resolution which they say was wrong. “The president has abused his office and violated the NRM constitution by allowing formation of cliques exhibited in the popularizing of the Kyankwanzi resolution,” said Ian Gumisiriza, who described himself as the NRM Poor Youth National coordinator. “We hear there is going to be an amendment of the party constitution during the Delegates Conference so as to have a Secretary General appointed by the party chairman. The President should respect principles of justice and leave office before the conference.” According to Gumisiriza, there will be a conflict of interest by the party chairman during the amendment of the constitution if the President doesn’t step aside which according to the group will be a violation of the party constitution. “It will make the party languish in political oblivion that will lead the NRM to the infamous road of disintegration. The party must outlive personalities and continue with its fundamental programs,” Gumisiriza added. President Museveni recently stressed that the December 15 NRM Delegates’ conference will not be used as a platform to discuss matters concerning the party Secretary General but to evaluate their performance in line with their goals. “We shall use it to see how far we have gone. We shall not be discussing the Secretary General because those are small issues. We never believe in sectarianism and we strongly oppose it,” Museveni said while appearing on a local radio talk show on Saturday morning. On whether he will have the final decision during the conference, Museveni said, “NRM is not an empire so there is no emperor. What will come from the NEC and CEC is what will be debated. In fact it will be discussions where I will participate and agree to some issues.”
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:02:10 +0000
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