AG dismisses Bukenya's Chogm claims

By Andante Okanya

The Attorney General (AG), Peter Nyombi, has rubbished former Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya’s claims that he was maliciously prosecuted.

The AG’s statement, which was filed at the High Court on November 30, is in defence to a suit filed by Bukenya.

The AG stated that the state prosecuted the criminal case against Bukenya with fairness.

The case came up on November 1, when Bukenya demanded sh104m in legal costs, claiming that he was maliciously prosecuted by the Inspector General of Government (IGG).

Bukenya had been accused of abuse of office and fraud in awarding a sh9.4b contract for the supply of the 204 vehicles used during the 2007 Chogm summit. Bukenya chaired the Cabinet sub-committee which awarded the contract.

He was subsequently charged and on October 3 last year, he spent a week on remand in Luzira Prison. But, in November last year, the IGG dropped the charges of abuse of office.

In the following month, the Anti-Corruption Court also acquitted Bukenya of fraud in a case where he had been jointly charged with the car supplier, Motorcare Uganda Limited.

Through his lawyers, Tumusiime, Kabega and Company Advocates, Bukenya also wants to be paid sh4m in transport costs among others.

He stated that he was constrained after being asked to pay sh50m for bail. Bukenya says he was inconvenienced, suffered physical and mental torture, embarrassment, stress and damage to his reputation.

The file has been allocated to Justice Vincent Zehurikize, but the date for hearing the case is yet to be fixed.