Muwema refutes getting Shs900m ‘state bribe’

Prominent city lawyer Fred Muwema has rebutted social media insinuations that he received a Shs900 million bribe from the state to stage-manage a break-in at his offices in Kololo.

Muwema, whose offices were recently ransacked by unknown people, was one of the lawyers representing former presidential aspirant John Patrick Amama Mbabazi and on the said night of the break-in, his office was said to have some affidavits that had been sworn by the petitioner’s agents, to be used in the ongoing presidential elections petition in the Supreme Court.

‘Whereas it is true that our offices at Windsor Crescent Kololo were raided and some information in support to the Presidential Petition was stolen, neither Fred Muwema nor any member of the firm participated in that ugly and wanton incident,’ the March 21 statement signed by Muwema reads in part.

Muwema’s rebuttal follows social media posts by a one TVO titled ‘Betrayal in the city’, in which the lawyer is among other things accused of abandoning his client Mbabazi.

‘Our firm aided the preparation of the Petition. However, the reasons why we did not participate in the trial of the Presidential Petition were discussed with the client and are known to him. Since communications with our client are privileged and we are not at liberty to disclose them to anybody without his consent or approval, we find the attacks against us in this regard unjustified and misguided,’ the statement adds.

The statement further indicates that Mr Mbabazi is still a client of Muwema &Co Advocates and Solicitors, and that the social media posts insinuating the contrary are ‘the handiwork of some bellicose individuals within or outside the state machinery who desire to torment our client and draw a wedge between him and us and his legal team.’