Opposition legislators have today directed the Minister for Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa to appear before Parliament to explain the Shs2 billion bribery accusations linking him to some ‘Chinese investors’ interested in various business deals in Uganda.
In November, the US criminal justice system linked Kutesa to the multi-million bribery case involving Patrick Ho, a senior official of a Chinese multi-billion conglomerate called Energy Company, who reportedly paid Kutesa US$500, 000, while seeking business advantages to get oil and energy deals.
At the time in 2015, Kutesa served as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President and US Special Prosecutor Paul McNulty says he used his UN offices in New York to procure the bribe, in contravention of the law.
And in today’s plenary chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga said Ugandans need to know more about the developments, and reminded the House that previously the same Kutesa had been accused of bribery at an international level.
“In the 9th Parliament we raised issues of oil,” Karuhanga said, adding that before the appointment of Kutesa as UNGA President, they questioned his credibility.
“We asked that another credible men and women be given the chance to represent Uganda at an international level instead and Kutesa was endorsed,” Karuhanga said, adding: “I request him to make a personal statement about the bribery scandal.”
Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo said “it is only fair that Minister Sam Kutesa comes to this house to make a statement about the bribery accusation.”
He added: “One minister was arrested for Shs 5million as a bribe, but we have a shark who no one is touching.”
However, Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana responded, arguing his colleagues not to ‘trust media reports making accusations about the Foreign Minister Kuteesa.’
“I put this house on notice that tomorrow I will be moving a motion, and I hope that the Attorney General (Mwesigwa Rukutana) who was on the same charge sheet during Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) appreciates this motion,” said Kira Municipality MP Semujju Nganda.
In response Speaker Kadaga said she will scrutinise all the documents regartding the bribery allegations against Minister Kutesa and make a ruling.
Yea, that’s the right thing to demand!