Besigye aide accuses Karuhanga of threats

Dec 19, 2000

Kampala lawyer James Musinguzi yesterday said Nyabushozi MP Elly Karuhanga was part of the group intimidating opponents of President Museveni in the coming presidential elections.

By Grace Matsiko Kampala lawyer James Musinguzi yesterday said Nyabushozi MP Elly Karuhanga was part of the group intimidating opponents of President Museveni in the coming presidential elections. Musinguzi, the chief of finance and logistics in Col. Kiiza Besigye's campaign team, told a news conference in Kampala that Karuhanga warned him of "trouble both financially and possibly physically" unless he apologised to Museveni for supporting Besigye. He said Karuhanga, whom he called a friend, warned him on Museveni's behalf. The MP is in South Africa and is expected back today. Museveni's publicity secretary Ofwono Opondo said Musinguzi's statements were false and propaganda intended to portray Museveni as a murderer. He said, "Museveni has never used assassination as a method of getting rid of opponents. Why should we kill Musinguzi, not the candidate (Besigye)? The problem of anarchists in the Movement will continue even if you kill them. The idea is to combat the method they use." Ofwono Opondo said the Movement prefers to fight its opponents intellectually rather than resorting to violence. Musinguzi told journalists, "Elly (Karuhanga) said he was going abroad the following day, that to save myself he requested our common friend Amos Nzei (chairman, Crown Beverages) to arrange the meeting with the President." Nzei could not be reached yesterday. He said Nzei had promised to arrange a meeting last Tuesday. "I did not see the importance of the meeting as I did not intend to reverse my decision to support Dr. Besigye," Byaruhanga said. He was flanked by another Besigye campaign team official Frank Byaruhanga. Musinguzi said that last week when Museveni met Rukungiri residents in Rwakitura, "the gist of the meeting was to tell them that I was the trouble behind his bid for the presidency and if I did not stop campaigning for Besigye, he would deal with me." He said nearly 100 soldiers were patrolling his village in Kihiihi as part of the "grand harassment," He said a letter had been written to Inspector General of Government Jotham Tumwesigye to cancel a supply tender in which he is involved. He said Karuhanga had threatened a client of his (Musinguzi's ) firm Incafex not to pay their fees before the elections. He said Museveni had allowed a terror group called CAMP and headed by Major Kakooza Mutale to operate. "This group of terrorist mobilisers was recently coached in Kalangala without the knowledge of the National Political Commissar," Musinguzi charged. He said the 99.9%, which Museveni got in Rukungiri in the 1996 presidential poll was through rigging. He gave no details. Ends

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