DR Congo Plunder Probe Team Ready

By Richard Mutumba MEMBERS of the judicial commission of inquiry into recent allegations that Uganda plundered wealth from war-torn DR Congo were sworn-in yesterday. State minister for international relations Alfred Mubanda swore-in the team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala. The ministry's Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ralph Ochan, and other government officials witnessed the ceremony. The commission, to be chaired by Justice David Porter, commences work immediately. Members are Court of Appeal Justice Joseph Berko and a retired senior UN official, John Rwambuya. Others sworn-in were Principal State Attorney Bisereko Kyomuhendo as commission secretary, while Kampala lawyer Allan Shonubi is the lead counsel. The Porter probe will be called "The Commission of Inquiry (Allegations into Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the D.R. Congo), 2001." The commission, to hand in its report to the Government within three months after starting its work, will be open to the public and will sit at the Kampala International Conference Centre. President Yoweri Museveni last week directed that the inquiry start work 'straight away.' The instrument says, "Whereas the Security of the UN on May 2, 2001 urged the governments concerned to conduct their own inquiries into allegations in the said report and now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred upon the Minister by Section 2 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, this Notice is issued this 23rd day of May, 2001." The team will inquire into allegations of illegal exploitation of natural resources like minerals, coffee, timber, livestock, wildlife, ivory and monkeys. It will probe allegations of "mass-scale looting and systematic exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth from the DRC by the Government of Uganda." The probe will "inquire into allegations of complicity or involvement by His Excellency the President and his family in the alleged illegal exploitation made in the said report." It will also probe claims that top Uganda People's Defence Forces officers and other Ugandans plundered the DRC. Ends