Politics

Court documents show 3 Ugandan lawmakers facing corruption charges

Published

6 months ago

June 14, 2024

According to a charge sheet obtained by Reuters, three lawmakers from the ruling party in Uganda have been accused of corruption for attempting to persuade a rights organization to inflate its budget.

The nation in East Africa has a high rate of graft, but it rarely prosecutes high-ranking officials, particularly those connected to the long-reigning National Resistance Movement (NRM) party and President Yoweri Museveni.

Mutembuli, Paul Akamba, and Cissy Namujju Dionizia, the three parliamentarians, were accused of corruption late on Wednesday before Kampala’s High Court.

They were charged with trying to persuade the head of the publicly financed Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to inflate the organization’s 2024–25 (July–June) budget in exchange for providing the legislators with 20% of the inflated budget, according to the charge sheet.

“Mutembuli, Akamba and Dionizia … solicited an undue advantage … by asserting that they were able to exert improper influence over the decision-making of the budget committee of parliament of Uganda to increase the UHRC budget,” the charge sheet said.

After entering not guilty pleas, the three were sent to a high-security facility. One of the accused’ attorneys, Asuman Basalirwa, told the judge that the allegations could not be “categorised as grave” and requested bail.

Judge Joan Aciro detained them until June 14, when they are scheduled to return for a decision on the bail application. Museveni claimed last week that he had nformation indicating certain legislators were working with government department representatives to inflate their budgets in return for a fee.

The government of Museveni has been under fire from the opposition for a long time for not prosecuting high-ranking officials for graft, claiming that political allegiance precedes accountability for public resources.

Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

5 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

6 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.