By Moses Odeng
Mbarara City North legislator Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari has told the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) that court bailiff Moses Kirunda was behind his ‘illegal arrest’.
In addition to his complaint registered with SHACU on March 10, 2023, the legislator says his arrest was intentionally orchestrated by Kirunda and Robert Kabonero to annoy, embarrass and ridicule him as a Member of Parliament.
“I am in receipt of information, including confessions that Kabonero using cellular number 0757221155, continuously called Kirunda on telephone number 0702347337 to orchestrate my arrest and detention, intentionally to annoy, embarrass and ridicule me as a Member of Parliament,” he contends.
The additional information was sent to the SHACU head, Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, on March 13, 2023, and received by the SHACU on the same day.
Rukaari has appealed to SHACU to establish what he calls the criminal intention of Kirunda and whether he (Kirunda) state-engineered his arrest and incarceration to Luzira Prison when the judgement creditor (Rukaari) had security against the debt with an estimated value of sh3.8b.
He also wants Kirunda and Kabonero investigated for misconduct and abuse of office in execution of the court order.
The petition comes a week after Mwesigye petitioned the anti-corruption body to take action against Assistant Superintendent of Police Karim Mukiibi, and his (Karim’s) unnamed colleague, both of whom are attached to the Police Anti-riot Unit.
Others on his complaint list include Commercial Division of the High Court assistant registrar Mastula Mulondo, who he claims colluded with Kirunda to arrest him and irregularly sent him to Luzira Prison.
Mwesigwa is currently out on bail after spending four days in Luzira Prison following his committal by the Commercial Court on March 4, 2023.
Background
Court documents indicate that Rukaari, also a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee, borrowed about sh700m from businessman Gerald Kalungi in 2019 and reportedly invested in his business, which was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December last year, the same court ordered Rukaari to pay the money and the MP raised about sh300m.
Mao condemns arrest
Speaking at the launch of a fundraising campaign for the Uganda Martyrs Catholic Parish Church in Mbarara city on Sunday, Justice minister Nobert Mao condemned the arrest, saying it was only meant to humiliate the legislator.
“The legislator went for a meeting to discuss a loan he got before the COVID-19 shutdown. Unknown to him, those people had connived with bailiffs to have him sent to jail,” Mao said.
