Uganda won't lose money in oil deals - Museveni

Oct 12, 2011

THE country will not lose money in oil deals to anyone, President Yoweri Museveni said yesterday.

 

By Henry Mukasa
 
THE country will not lose money in oil deals to anyone, President Yoweri Museveni said yesterday.
 
Addressing the nation in the aftermath of a parliamentary resolution to investigate three cabinet ministers, the President also contemptuously dismissed accusations that he was bribed by oil exploration company Eni. The accusation was contained in the eaked US diplomatic cables.
 
“Museveni can never be given money by anybody. It is despisable. General Yoweri Museveni Ssabalwanyi to get money from a mzungu (white) for personal use?
 
It is contempt of the highest order,” Museveni said in a televised press conference at State House Nakasero.
 
In the cable published by website wikileaks, a Tullow official, Brian Clover, is quoted to have told a US embassy economic affairs official that Eni gave Museveni a bribe to take over Heritage Oil’s interest for offshore exploration.
 
In response, Museveni said Americans were expressing their “confusion” while wikileaks was “full of idiots.”
 
“That is absolute rubbish. Then he (Clover) must be an idiot. To confirm that he is an idiot, Eni never got anything in Uganda. If they paid me, I took their money for nothing.” 
 
“Suppose I was asleep and they put it in my pockets with a note, ‘from Eni to the mzee’, then it was a bad investment,” he emphasised.
 
He said he preferred Uganda working with the Chinese oil company, CNOOC, over Italy’s Eni because China is a bigger country than Italy.
 
He disparaged the American ambassador for writing in one of the confidential cables that he (Museveni) appointed his wife, Janet Kataaha Museveni, to the portfolio of Karamoja Affairs ministers to tame her growing popularity which was reportedly overtaking his.
 
“I don’t know what to call that ambassador? I am sorry for the American people,” he remarked.
 
“Janet is the one who volunteered. She said: ‘let me go and help the Karamoja people’,” he said.
 
Forged documents tabled in Parliament
The President said some of the documents presented in Parliament to pin the Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi and ministers Sam Kutesa (foreign affairs) and Hillary Onek (internal affairs), for alleged bribery were forged.
 
He said he was the first to get the documents in August last year and both private investigators and police in UK, Malta and
Dubai where the alleged bribery transactions were held, found them without merit.
 
“These documents are forgeries and I have proof. We are now going to investigate who originated these forgeries,” he said.
 
Parliament on Tuesday adopted a motion to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate Mbabazi, Kutesa, Onek and any other official in the energy sector on allegations of corruption in the oil deals. The August House also asked the three ministers to step aside to pave way for investigations.
 
Asked whether he will ask the ministers to submit to parliamentary directive or even relinquish them of their duties, the President said he will first consult the NRM caucus.
 
He said he had heard that party members had participated in the crafting and endorsement of the resolution without his knowledge.
 
“That one (motion) I have not studied it. I was busy today. I will study it,” he began.
 
“That is their (MPs) decision. What we want is the truth. The truth will come out because Uganda is not ending today,” he explained.
 
Museveni said he understands his obligations as President and party chairman as enshrined in the
Constitution but would consult his party’s legislators first. “I have a position but I cannot go public before I meet my members. I cannot be part of that confusion to say, ‘I will do this before consulting my members,” he said repeatedly.
 
On Amama Mbabazi
Asked why he procrastinated in taking action whenever Mbabazi was named in an alleged corruption scandal, Museveni said he did not have difficulty in penalising the Prime Minister.
 
“But we do not prosecute people for nothing. You cannot prosecute anybody because people have made malicious allegations,” the President noted.
 
He said Mbabazi was named only in the Temangalo-NSSF sh10b land sale saga but when he studied the case, he concluded that while the premier could have misjudged, he was not a thief.
 
“That is why I came out to defend him openly,” he said.
 
Ministers Irene Muloni (energy), Mary Karooro (information), the energy ministry permanent secretary, Kabagambe Kaliisa, Allen Kagina, the Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Doris Akol, the URA Commissioner for Legal Services, attended.
 
The President picked on each of them to answer questions. Kaliisa did most of the explanation of the oil agreements and exploration details.
 
The President vowed to protect Uganda’s interests in the oil exploration, extraction and production. “I know how to defend the interests of Uganda. I have ne

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