Former National Resistance Movement (NRM) legislator for Bubulo West in the Ninth Parliament Tonny Kipoi Nsubuga, wanted by the Uganda government for among other crimes, treason, is off the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) list of wanted criminals.
Sources at Kipoi’s village home of Bugobero Sub-County in Manafwa district told EagleOnline that Kipoi, who jumped bail while facing multiple charges, was struck off the 17-page ‘Red Alert’ list that contains 147 persons wanted by Interpol, the international authority that is charged with apprehending criminals whose names have been referred to it by the National Police Forces of member countries.
Indeed, a quick search on the Interpol website revealed that there are only two Africans on Interpol’s Red Alert: Mohammed Adel, a 39 year old Egyptian and Abdi Khadar Musa, a 38 year old Somali. Previously, Uganda’s reference to Interpol included Tony Kipoi and the caged Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) boss, Jamil Mukulu. Another Ugandan referral to Interpol was Mr.William Muwanguzi aka Pastor Kiwedde, who was arrested in Zimbabwe last week. Kipoi’s name is not on the list.
And contacted about Kipoi’s striking off the Red Alert, Uganda Police Director of Interpol and International Relations, Asan Kasingye said he wasn’t aware of the development.
“That cannot happen; I don’t know who gave you that information because it takes four years and I am not aware that the four years have elapsed” Mr. Kasingye said on phone.
A former ruling party legislator, Kipoi’s woes started in 2013 when police arrested and detained him over allegations of theft of a motor vehicle in Botswana.
Kipoi was subsequently arraigned charged with being in possession of a stolen vehicle. He was released and jumped bail before he was also accused by the state of recruiting army officials to start a rebel movement.
Since 2013, Kipoi has been under investigations on allegations of treason, illegal confinement of South African nationals and dealing in narcotic drugs.
In the treason case, it was alleged that around 2013 Mr Kipoi held a meeting with Democratic Republic of Congo rebels and UPDF soldiers in a guest house in Kabarole District with the purpose of arming them last year.
Kipoi, who was subsequently arrested in the DRC for allegedly selling arms to the rebel outfit M23 when South African and Tanzanian forces battled the rebels, was held by Congolese authorities, who then liaised with the Uganda Police to have him extradited. “Ever since we received information from Kinshasa, we have been working hand in hand with DRC Police and our Ambassador in DRC to make sure that Kipoi is not released until we finalize all the legal documents required to deport him back to Uganda which I think will not take more than two weeks,” explained Kasingye was quoted by the media as saying then.
However, since then little was heard about Kipoi till the latest information that he was ‘cleared’ by Interpol trickled in, and the sources in his former constituency said he is currently in Europe.
