Muruli Clears MPs Over Kasese Attack

By Felix Osike and John Odyek MINISTER for security Muruli Mukasa has said intelligence information does not link MPs to the recent Kasese rebel attack. Muruli, who was yesterday briefing MPs on the security situation in the country, said the attackers were believed to be the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels. "Information we have so far is that a group of about 20 armed people believed to be ADF rebels attacked Kasese and killed a number of people. "There have been some investigations, which point to ADF with support of some local collaborators. There was nothing like government or MPs involved in the attack," Muruli said. Health minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga told a press conference last month that some Kasese MPs were involved in the attack. His statement sparked off angry reactions from Kasese district MPs. The army also said the attack was not by ADF. But Muruli accused some overzealous campaigners of former presidential candidates of making inflammatory statements, later interpreted to mean a warning of an impending attack. "We would like to take that as something which happened during the campaigns. "We should be a bit cautious and stick to facts so that we don't get carried away," he said. Defence committee chairman Chris Mudoola and Charles Egou, the deputy chairman of the presidential and foreign affairs committee, jointly chaired the meeting. Muruli said another attack on Hamukungu fishing village in Kasese was also carried out by the ADF. Muruli briefed the MPs on the Makerere University killings and the recent bomb blasts in the city. He said some arrests had been made and files were being prepared. "Some of them will be sent to courts of law to see if there are possible grounds for prosecution," Muruli said. He attributed the new wave of bomb attacks in the city to ADF operatives who infiltrated Kampala from the Rwenzori mountains and others who were released from prison under the amnesty law. MPs Mike Mukula, Kule Muranga, Christopher Kibazanga, John Eresu, Owiny Dollo, Yoram Ajeani, Reagan Okumu and Samson Ilukor raised several security-related issues with the minister. Muruli rejected demands by Okumu that he resigns his cabinet post since the parliamentary elections were just a month away. Ends