By S. Opus & J. Bakama

SPORTS minister Charles Bakkabulindi has pledged to help ex-international Polly Ouma from Luzira Prison.

The former Cranes striker was committed to civil prison last month for failure to clear sh16m in a land transaction.

Ouma was supposed to have refunded the money to one Herbert Nuwagaba to whom he had sold a plot of land in Kiswa, Nakawa division for sh10m.

The ex-international’s problems began with his wife’s objection to the sale when Nuwagaba demanded for a transfer of title.

Ouma couldn’t raise the sh10m refund and the court bailiffs’ charges and interest amounting to an extra sh6m and was therefore committed to Luzira.

Bakkabulindi who visited Ouma in prison on Tuesday, promised to talk to Nuwagaba who lodged a civil suit against the ex-international. Bakkabulindi thanked the prison staff for taking good care of Ouma.

Ouma was coach of the 1989 and ‘90 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup winning team. He bounced back in the same post in the nineties before being elevated to vice presidency of local soccer body FUFA.

As a player the former centre forward was part of the Cranes who featured in the Nations Cup in the seventies before reaching the final in 1978 in Ghana.

He had earlier been part of the army side Simba FC that became the first club from east, central and southern Africa to reach an African final. This was in 1972 when Simba lost to Hafia Conakry of Guinea.

Also in the same prison over a debt is another ex-international Ibrahim Buwembo. The former left winger is reported to have failed to pay a loan from a micro-finance institution.