The Anti-Corruption division of the High Court has granted bail to the three legislators accused of soliciting a 20% kick-back from the chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) in exchange of an increase to her budget.
The 3 MPS are; Paul Akamba ( Busiki County, Namutumba) ,Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East, Butaleja District) and Cissy Namujju Dionizza (District Woman representative of Lwengo) have been ordered to each pay a cash bail of Shs 50 Million, deposit their passports in court while each of their nine sureties a non-cash bond of Shs 100 Million.
Justice Lawrence Gidudu has also ordered the 3 MPS to commit to be available and their counsel to proceed with the trial as required by Rules 5 and 12(4) of Legal Notice 11 of 2021 and if they fail they are remanded to August 8 for further hearing.
While granting them bail the judge has reasoned that they are members of parliament who have already been on remand for about 55 days to date,they are alleged to have plotted to execute a scheme which backfired thus not succeeding, their trial has started, they denied the charges, they have credible, traceable and known sureties who are public figures.
“I am aware that currently the country is in a combative mood against corruption. There is awareness among the population about institutions that are suffering under the weight of grand corruption. Going by press and social media reports, the public is now fed up with corruption in public offices. But the court still treats this as allegations,” Justice Gidudu has ruled.
The judge also ruled that the anticipated enhanced budget did not not involve personal violence nor loss of any money or assets to be recovered since it was a fruitless hunt , there is no recovery process that the legislators may frustrate.
On the issue of the sureties having fixed places of abode the trial judge has ruled that legislators are the most highly paid public who have capacity to increase their privileges to meet the high standards of living.
The judge has told prosecution and defense lawyers that this bail is not meant to frustrate the progress of the case as corruption allegations are treated seriously by court thus he will ensure that by October 31, the case is concluded.
However, MP Akamba cannot leave prison because he still has another corruption charge of stealing 200m shillings that was meant to compensate war victims of Buyaka Growers co-operative society in which he has not yet secured bail.
