Arrested Minister Blames Col Kasirye

Jul 01, 2001

Detained state minister for gender Vincent Nyanzi yesterday accused the Mubende LC5 chairman, Col. Kasirye Ggwanga (right), of framing murder charges against him.

By Edith Kimuli Detained state minister for gender Vincent Nyanzi yesterday accused the Mubende LC5 chairman, Col. Kasirye Ggwanga (right), of framing murder charges against him. He said Kasirye also ordered for his arrest. Nyanzi was narrating his ordeal to The New Vision in Kayunga, Wakiso district, where he is under house arrest for shooting a supporter of his rival candidate. He denied any wrongdoing. He said his bodyguard, Paul Byona, admitted the shooting to the Police immediately after their arrest, but later changed the statement. "When Kasirye Ggwanga came to Mityana Police Station, the statement that my bodyguard had made was taken away from him, and he was made to make another one," Nyanzi said. He (Kasirye) is holding a grudge against me because I did not support him during the LC5 elections. I supported Dr. Emmanuel Mawejje," the irate Nyanzi said. He said during this year's presidential elections, he showed the people of Mubende projects that the Government had implemented for them, which the district leaders were claiming and this annoyed the leaders, who included Kasirye. He said the man could have been knocked down by a lorry in the hustle. Kasirye could not be reached for comment yesterday. Nyanzi, who won the Busujju county seat, said supporters of his rival threatened his life and disrupted his rallies, which forced him to get bodyguards. "I have been a minister for three years, but I refused bodyguards until my campaign rally on June 18 at Buwala was disrupted by supporters of my rival," he said. He said he only held two campaign rallies. He said on election day, June 26, he was giving lunch allowance to his polling agents when supporters of Mr. Joseph Musoke started following them in a Isuzu pick-up truck UAB 393M. He said he was travelling in a Toyota Carina 229 UDD, which was yesterday parked at his brother's home, where he is being held. Nyanzi is expected to appear in court today. "I want the post mortem to be done properly," he said, adding that the Police surgeon did not perform a mental examination on him. Ends

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});