FDC elders never made any attempt to establish facts about ‘dirty money’ — Besigye

Kiiza Besigye has lashed out at FDC leaders who allegedly did little to establish the facts surrounding the source of sh7b that was allegedly received by Nathan Nandala Mafabi and party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat. 

According to Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), party president Col. (rtd) Besigye, the elders' committee's attempt to establish the facts would have unveiled the truth relating to the ‘dirty money’ that culminated in an unending wrangle that is eating up the party.

The report by the Elder’s Council on July 28, 2023, backed the FDC hierarchy over the non-disclosure of sources of the party’s funding, noting that this is a long-standing practice in many political parties across the world.

However, it noted that the issue of the ‘dirty money’ ought to be handled better by the leadership at Najjanankumbi and the party’s founding father, Col. Kizza Besigye, to prevent further ugly scenes that have played out in the past few days.

The 19-page document titled Report of the Special Elders’ Committee Appointed to Resolve Specific Disputes among Some Senior Party Elders was presented during the special National Council meeting at Najjanankumbi in Kampala on July 28, 2023.

The elders’ committee that produced a report was comprised of chairperson Dr Frank Nabwiso, Charles Makaru (who unfortunately did not attend any meetings), Joe Emusu Ediegu, Tiko Martha Ondoga, Robinson Kasozi, Mukalazi Kibuka, and Stanely Tugume Katembeya, who later resigned with his minority report rejected.

“My presentation to the special elders’ committee was selectively and inaccurately recorded. In other areas, what I presented has been used to relay a different meaning,” Besigye said.

While giving a response to the elders’ committee report at his office on Katonga Road office in Nakasero Kampala on Monday, Besigye told the media that he requested the committee to inquire into the party accounts and financial records where it was said that FDC had borrowed money for use in elections.

“If it is true that there was a minute to borrow money from the executive, why is it that the elders never ascertained the source of money, the amount, and the terms under which the loan was acquired, including the details of the agreement between the borrower and the lender on behalf of the party?” he said.

"Nandala [FDC secretary general] only stated in his submissions that the party needed sh1.2b loans, but what he showed the committee was the bank statement of his own bank account where he withdrew sh500m without mentioning where the balance was secured from and used," he added.

“How can you compel the FDC party to pay back the money to an unknown lender for whom the money was allegedly borrowed without a loan agreement presented and on what terms of payment were agreed?” Besigye said.

According to him, what was recorded by elders were their respective (poorly recorded) statements where they only recorded ‘findings’ saying that, “this issue is a sensitive one and responsible for the dispute between Nandala and Besigye".

“In Nandala’s story recorded, he only talked about sh300m that were given to me. He never talked about the sh280m given to Amuriat and the rest of the money he spent during the election period, yet it was the main issue,” Besigye said.

Besigye said, “the elders’ report does not absolve the FDC leaders who are suspected of having received ‘dirty money’ which showed that there was bias from the beginning”.

"There is no way the money would have moved during curfew time without security in the know and that shows that money was coming from a source which I suspected very well to be the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government," he added.