CID Grill Byanyima

By Emmy Allio & Davis Weddi THE Criminal Investigation Department yesterday quizzed Winnie Byanyima, the Mbarara Municipality Member of Parliament, for four hours over alleged seditious statements she made on Kenya's KTN television recently. Byanyima was released on a Police bond yesterday, with her husband, the former presidential candidate Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye and her sister Edith Byanyima standing in as sureties. The Police said Byanyima must report to the CID headquarters tomorrow for further interrogation and that she may be charged depending on the evidence. Byanyima, who emerged from the interrogation at 3.15pm flanked by her husband, her sister Edith and two lawyers, Kyemba Mutale and Caleb Alaka, was greeted by about 50 fans who shouted, "Winnie oyee, First Lady oyee." The supporters, some carrying Besigye's campaign posters, flashed the V-sign and shouted, "Ajja kugenda, Agenda." (President Yoweri Museveni will go, he is going.) Others addressed Besigye as "His Excellency." Byanyima was mobbed by an army of local journalists and fans who had braved the the hostile sun since 11.00am waiting for her outside the CID headquarters. Byanyima said, "I was asked about the statements I made in Nairobi. There was really nothing but only harassment, harassment." Sources said personnel from External Security Organisation (ESO), Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Interpol and other security agencies were part of the interrogation team. The Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of crime, Mr. Godfrey Bangirana, said Byanyima was interrogated in relation to the statements she made on KTN. "We are still investigating the case. We expect her to report to us on Thursday and answer more questions on her statements," he said. Earlier, Besigye who arrived 30 minutes before his wife, had insisted on accompanying her to the interrogation room. But the Police barred him and pushed him away at the main gate. After about 10 minutes, Byanyima gave in and entered with just her two lawyers. Besigye then 'pitched camp' in his car outside CID headquarters for nearly three hours. He drank sodas, ate cakes and chatted with his fans. Byanyima, who was in Nairobi for a seminar organised by the East African Women Parliamentary Association on March 31, later flew to Harare, Zimbabwe, to attend a conference of the African First Ladies Foundation. On arrival at Entebbe Airport on Saturday, Byanyima told the press that she stood by the statements made on KTN. Meanwhile, The New Vision yesterday obtained a verbatim of Byanyima's interview with KTN. Pictures from the interview were on Monday aired thrice on KTN's evening bulletins which reported Byanyima would be interrogated. The filming was done in the lobby of a Nairobi hotel where the MP appeared with her son Anselm. Byanyima said Uganda's economy was undermined by all the military adventures and that 40% of Uganda's budget was spent in military exercises in the Democratic Republic of Congo where she said Uganda was training Congolese rebels. She said, "President Museveni is training Interahamwe genocidaire against the government of Paul Kagame and the southern Sudan People's Liberation army against the Sudan government." Ends