Disaster minister accused of defilement

By Ben Okiror

THE Minister of State for disaster preparedness, Musa Ecweru, has been summoned by court to answer charges of defilement. The criminal summons were issued by the Chief Magistrate of Buganda Road Court, Margaret Tibulya.

“You are hereby commanded by the Uganda Government to appear in this court on October 3 at 9:00am as the case can be heard,” the letter, issued on Thursday, read.

According to the charge sheet, the minsiter faces two charges of defilement and indecent assault.

It is stated that in September 2007 at his home in Namuwongo, Ecweru had sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old girl and made her pregnant.

This followed a complaint by the girl’s father, Steven Okiror, who swore an oath before the Chief Magistrate at Buganda Road Court on September 25.
Okiror, a resident of Kireka, a Kampala suburb, stated that his wife, Mary Akiteng, was a cousin to Amochu, the late wife of Ecweru.

Owing to that relationship, Okiror claims Ecweru took his daughter to his home in 2006 promising to pay for her education but instead had sex with her.

The statement says the victim gave birth to a baby girl whom Ecweru has abandoned and refused to provide for.
When Saturday Vision contacted Ecweru, he expressed shock and denied knowledge of any summons.
“This is total rubbish and an attempt to damage me. There is no truth in the allegations at all. It is all politics, dirty politics!”he said.

He denied living with any relatives of his late wife since her death five years ago.
“You can even call my new wife and ask her. Apart from assisting the mother of my late wife, none of her relatives has lived with me since her death.”

Ecweru suspects that MP Mike Mukula, the NRM vice chairman for Eastern Uganda, is trying to get back at him for refusing to support him in his recent campaign against the President.

“I stood surety for him in the GAVI Fund case. But when he publicly said the President and Mbabazi had failed the party, I disagreed with him.”

According to Ecweru, his speech in Bukedea during the President’s Teso tour last month in particular angered Mukula.

“I warned the agitators that they would fight alone and be isolated since the Teso youth had decided to support the President and take advantage of the progressive programmes of the Government.”

He said he had received earlier warnings that there were plans to assassinate him, by driving him off the road, or to damage his reputation.

“A Red Pepper journalist recently called me, telling me that in a meeting, they planned to accuse me of having eloped with somebody’s wife.”

However, Mukula denied any involvement and said he was “too busy with his business” to get involved in such machinations.

He said that Ecweru had stood for him the last time he was arrested and therefore, he would not be the one seeking to tarnish his name.

“Ecweru is my brother and very good friend,” Mukula said.

“I think that is being diversionary. I sympathise with him but will support him in this trying moment. I don’t believe in intrigue.”