President Yoweri Museveni has said he didn’t appoint his head of State House anti corruption unit, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema to fight the Inspector General of Government but rather help her fight corruption where she had failed.

Museveni said State House ant-corruption team led by Lt. Col. Nakalema is not meant to takeaway the work of the IGG or make it useless, “I appointed it to complement the IGG.”
Adding “When people start complaining of a watchman, then you have to hire a watchman to watch over that watchman and that is why I started and setup units in presidents office to watch over the IGG”.

He noted that it is critical to work with the victims of corruption, in the fight against it to enable them demand for accountability. The victims need to be able to rally support from society to pinpoint and call out corrupt officials.

President Yoweri Museveni, has called for more coordination and strengthening of government systems to support the fight against gripping corruption in the Country.

Museveni remarked during the 9th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa held at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa, Kigo. The conference is held under the theme; Time to Act: Prevent Corruption for Sustainable Development.

At the same time, Mr Museveni used to occasion to introduce Col. Nakalema to the audience.

16 heads of anti corruption agencies are among the 50 international participants present at the #CorruptionFreeAfrica conference to boost collaborative efforts

Museveni implored government officials and other stakeholders to be ideologically patriotic and progressive in ensuring good leadership and service delivery to the people.

He said thorough investigations, prosecution and sentencing of corrupt officers must be done to do away with the vice.

“Corruption is ideological it takes hard work to fight but our people are doing it. You can’t stay in a society where you steal funds and become the only one who is wealthy, living a good life on behalf of others (prosperity for the few) is very dangerous.” He said

Adding “The prosperity for the few in a society of the deprived cannot be sustainable, Emphasis should be put on attaining the betterment of society in the fight against vice. Many of the people in the 3rd world fear to stay in the 3rd world, when they steal money here, they take it to the first world where they feel it’s safer.” He said

Museveni also launched a book called titled ‘Tackling Corruption in CommonWealth Africa with case done in Botswana, Mauritius, Seychelles, Lesotho and Rwanda. The book details various methods of fighting and reducing corruption, a vice manifested in many African countries.

Conversely, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Justice Irene Mulyagonja, said the theme for the Corruption Free Africa Conference will continue to tackle on how citizens can be given more power in demanding accountability from their leaders a mandate IGG has in Uganda.

“We are also working with various ministries and organizations to build their capacity to handle small and big complaints in order to curb impunity which leads to corruption.”

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya, said “We have done what we can but we need to do more, “Corruption is everywhere and in our societies, we glorify the corrupt. In Churches, they occupy the front seats because they are going to give more. This must stop.”

Muustapha Ould Lima, a man the Americans say is linked to the Al-Qaeda group was in Kigali last week but his presence has heightened speculation that his presence there could be linked with the groups claim that they have penetrated East African region.

Last month, the Al-Qaeda group claimed that they were responsible for the killings in Eastern parts of Democratic Republic of Congo. Security experts in the region fear that his presence in Kigali could have been a decoy for the group to launch their activities in the region.

Last week Lima was seen in seen in Kigali and even attended a function with President Kagame. Lima was at Kigali International Airport when President Kagame received the Qatar Supreme leader.
However, speculation is high on the grapevine in which capacity was Moustapha Ould Lima at Kigali international airport, among the most loyal members of President Kagame?

“How did Moustapha Ould Lima, one of the most wanted people on the continent, travel to Kigali? Or which business does Moustapha Ould Lima run in Kigali?

Moustapha Ould Lima is said to be the coordinator of Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel Desert. Mauritania issued an international arrest warrant for Moustapha Ould Lima. Moustapha Ould Lima is probably one of the most wanted people on the African Continent.

According to the documents seized by US Navy Seal that raided and killed Osama bin Laden, Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was in direct contact with Osama bin Laden. According the CIA, the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the terrorist group Moustapha Quld Lima allegedly coordinates, makes tons of dollars annually, through kidnapping Western tourists, expatriates and/or businessmen, for ransom, in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, Mali, Mauritanian and Algeria.

“Is it a coincidence that Moustapha Ould Lima is in Kigali at the same time Al-Qaeda claimed its first attack in DRC? And is it a coincidence that kidnapping Western tourists for ransom, the AQIM style, has increased in Uganda and DRC?”

United States, France and other western allies work closely with the Sahel region to fight Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). His appearance there comes at the time when there allegations that Allied Democratic Forces were working with Al-Qaeda to widen their base in the region. Also last month, Ugandan security agencies issued a security alert when the published photos of two men of Arab origin whom they claimed they had snaked into the country and were from Al-Qaeda.

Bank of Uganda top officials are in panic after businessman Sudhir Ruparelia and Meera Investments lodged an application seeking court to dismiss a suit in which Crane Bank Limited (CBL) in receivership sued the two applicants yet it had no legal capacity to do so.

Bank of Uganda (receivership) took-over CBL before it connived with Dfcu to sell it at the a throw away price.

“…I have been advised by…lawyers, which I advise I verily believe to be true, that the respondent has no legal capacity to sue applicants,” reads part of the application.
Mr. Sudhir and Meera Investments also in the application want the recovery, transfer and return of freehold property from CBL in receivership. “…I have been advised by lawyers, Kampala Associated Advocates, which advice I verily believe to be true, that under the Constitution and the Land Act, the Respondent cannot own and hold freehold property and is therefore, not capable of holding the suit property in its names,” the application continues.

Mr. Sudhir also in the application argues that he was sued as a sole shareholder of CBL, which is not true and that the respondent has no powers to commence against CBL shareholders or Sudhir himself.
“The orders sought against the 2nd applicant in HCCS 493 of 2017 are barred by law. The respondent cannot maintain an action against the 2nd applicant for recovery, transfer and return of freehold property when the respondent is a non-citizen within the meaning of the law” reads the suit.
In the application Sudhir wants CBL in receivership to pay National Social Security Fund (NSSF) the statutory debts. CBL in receivership was in the hands of BoU between October 20, 2016 and January 25, 2017 before its assets were controversially transferred to Dfcu bank by BoU.
“The claim by National Social Security Fund could only be made against the respondent,” the application states.

The application was lodged on April 30, 2019 and court has set July 3, 2019 as date to decide whether the plaintiff has no locus standi to commence actions against the applicant in High Court Civil Suit (HCCS) No 493 of 2017 against the applicants.
Court also will rule whether the plaint does not disclose the cause of action against the applicant and determine whether orders against second applicant (Meera Investments) are barred by the law but court will also determine whether the suit will be dismissed with costs as desired by applicants.

BoU in Panic

According to a legal expert that preferred to remain anonymous in this article, BoU is panicking after Court dismissed two conflicted law firms from representing any client in any case involving Sudhir and Ruparelia Group. He said BoU now pondering whether to use the Financial Intelligence report on CBL and a report on receivership of CBL to sue Sudhir on behalf of CBL shareholders.
The source said the officials at BoU are now wondering as to why BoU sued Sudhir and Meera Investments and should court go by proceed with the main case, the taxpayers will lose more money as Sudhir and Meera Investments will be compensated in billions of shillings, their names having been dragged to court by BoU for wrong reasons.

Barring of conflicted lawyers kills BoU hope of winning in main case
Days ago the court put a permanent injunction on law firm Lule & Sebalu Advocates in cases involving the Ruparelia Group since the law firm at one time represented Sudhir or his companies.
The High Court made the ruling in a case where Sudhir was seeking the law firm hired by the Dfcu bank and Bank of Uganda to be declared conflicted, and therefore, unfit to represent the parties in a longstanding commercial dispute.

Sudhir through his Real Estate Company; Crane Management Services some time back sued Dfcu bank demanding rental arrears amounting to Shs2.9 billion and US $385,728.54 in respect of tenancies of suit properties that were formally owned by Crane Bank Limited. Dfcu bank which controversially bought off CBL had hired Sebalu & Lule Advocates. Sudhir said he contracted the same law firm in 2006 to draw and review tenancy agreements in respect of the said rental premises thus there is conflict between the lawyer and his client.

Further In December 2017, the Commercial Court disqualified city lawyers Timothy Kanyererezi Masembe and David Mpanga from the Shs397 billion suit in which BoU sued Sudhir and Meera Investments for recovery of that money. BoU had hired the two lawyers but Sudhir challenged them to be dropped off the case, citing conflict of interest, having hired them at one time.
In his ruling delivered on December 21, 2017, the head of the Commercial Court division, Justice Wangutusi stated that Mr. David Mpanga of A.F. Mpanga Advocates and Timothy Masembe of MMAKS Advocates acted in violation of the Advocates (Professional Conduct) regulations.

Section 4 of the regulation provides that an advocate shall not accept instructions from any person in respect of a contentious or non-contentious matter if the matter involves a former client and the advocate as a result of acting for the former client is aware of any facts which may be prejudicial to the client in that matter.

According to the source, BoU’s hope of riding on conflicted lawyers who were employed by Sudhir and his companies under the Ruparelia Group was killed by the two rulings, the reason it has opted for alternatives, having sensed it could lose the main case against Sudhir and Meera Investments. “Remember that the two sides disagreed to resolve the matter out of court,” he said.

Questioning BoU’s Shs478 billion spent on CBL in Auditor General’s report
The situation, in which BoU is in right now, according to the source, is worsened that BoU has failed to account for Shs320 billion of the Shs478 billion it claimed to have put in CBL during the receivership between October 20, 2016 and January 25, 2017. The situation is further also worsened by the fact that BoU offered to Dfcu bank CBL assets at only Shs200 billion. These statics came out during the Auditor General’s probe of BoU over seven defunct banks closed by BoU. Also during MPs probe of BoU on closed banks, a top official said CBL needed only Shs150 billion to remain operating.

The source said BoU is scared because it used the above money without the involvement of shareholders of CBL. It was the receiver and the lender at the same time and now it cannot tell CBL shareholders to refund the money which belonged to taxpayers.