‘Besigye witness deserter’

By Emmy Allio
PRIVATE Allan Barigye, who swore an affidavit in support of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s election petition, is a deserter on a wanted list, the army said yesterday.
Barigye, No. RA 184580 of the 2nd Division in Mbarara, swore the affidavit on March 15 for the petition in which Besigye wants the results of the February 23 elections nullified. Barigye said he would prove before the Supreme Court that is hearing the case that the soldiers in the barracks voted several times.
Army spokesman Major Felix Kulayigye said of Barigye, “He deserted sometime back and he has been on our wanted list.”
He said the soldier disappeared several weeks before the elections.
In his affidavit, Barigye said he was arrested when he refused to stuff in pre-ticked ballot papers in favour of Museveni.
He said the electoral officials spotted him and reported to his boss who arrested him with three others whom he identified as Rogers Wandera, Moses Kiiza, Ivan Kakuru and Immanuel Tumusime.
However, Kulayigye yesterday said the 2nd Division had no record of the soldiers.
He added: “The UPDF did not rig the recent elections as reported in Sunday Monitor.
“Local and foreign observers plus election officials gave a clean bill of performance to the UPDF during the elections. We issued a code of conduct to our personnel to exercise neutrality, professionalism and maximum alertness to enable Ugandans exercise their rights unhindered. Many of our personnel sacrificed their right to vote because of duty that day.
“Since he has sworn an affidavit, we have left Barigye to the two parties to the election petition in the Supreme Court.
“The UPDF, however, is greatly aggrieved by the article and (its) spirit. Allegations made by an individual soldier formed the basis for a respectable news media’s screaming headline.
“We have exercised professionalism during this whole electoral period. We promised peace to Ugandans, we delivered it. We shall continue to protect the people and their properties.”
Kulayigye (below) said the army was demanding an apology from The Monitor. He warned: “Short of that, we shall seek legal redress.”
State minister for parliamentary affairs Hope Mwesigye said Museveni’s lawyers would today file counter-affidavits.
She said Besigye’s lawyers were leaking details of their affidavits to the press. “It is unprofessional to leak information to the press to twist events.”
In an affidavit he swore before Mbarara Chief Magistrate on March 15, Barigye said fellow soldiers were coached and ordered by Capt. Chris Ndyabagye, the 2nd Division intelligence officer, to vote for Museveni.
Barigye said 2nd Division commander Brig. Hudson Mukasa collected the cards from soldiers who had voted for re-distribution elsewhere.
Barigye said the soldiers were instructed to carry the voter’s cards under their shirt-sleeves to “keep voting again and again, using one card at a time.”
He said he was given 17 ballot papers with 16 of them already pre-ticked for Museveni.
Ends