Seya quizzed over US bank fraud
Dec 06, 2009
KAMPALA mayor Nasser Sebaggala has said although he was convicted of money laundering, he is still eligible to contest for the Democratic Party presidency.
By Hillary Nsambu
KAMPALA mayor Nasser Sebaggala has said although he was convicted of money laundering, he is still eligible to contest for the Democratic Party presidency.
Sebaggala was convicted of money laundering in the US in 2005, but he said it was a minor offence.
“It is true I was convicted in 2005 in the US, but of a misdemeanour that cannot prevent me from standing for the party’s presidency or that of Uganda,†Sebaggala told the High Court on Friday.
When asked what kind of offence he was convicted of, Sebaggala said “money transferâ€, which he described as “of a minor natureâ€.
Sebaggala was being cross-examined by the Democratic Party (DP) lawyers on his affidavit in which he accused the party leadership of frustrating his efforts to become the next party leader.
DP lawyers John Baptist Kakooza, Abdallah Kiwanuka, Medard Lubega Seggona and Damian Lubega bombarded Sebaggala with questions related to his English language proficiency, eligibility after conviction for the bank fraud and intellectual capacity to lead the party.
Even after Sebaggala had been shown an article in the DP’s Constitution that states that members with mental illnesses or those convicted of corrupt practices, felony or declared bankrupt shall not be nominated to any office of the party, he insisted that he was qualified, because the offence he was convicted of did not fall in any of the categories mentioned, referring to it as a “misterdemeanour†(misdemeanour).
Sebaggala dragged DP chief John Ssebaana Kizito and national chairman Prof Joseph Mukiibi to court, arguing that they had violated the party constitution to stop the delegates’ conference from being held on November 29, 2009 as had been scheduled.
The party also abruptly cancelled the grassroots elections.
Sebaggala asked court to compel the party executive to hold the delegates conference before the end of the year and to stop the party from altering or disrupting the already concluded grassroots elections.
Although Sebaggala’s lawyers, Hassan Kamba and Hajara Nakendo, asked court to compel the DP lawyers to reply to their final submissions on Friday, Justice Vincent Zehurikize adjourned the case to January 25.
However, Zehurikize urged the two sides to sit together as members of one party and peacefully solve their differences.
KAMPALA mayor Nasser Sebaggala has said although he was convicted of money laundering, he is still eligible to contest for the Democratic Party presidency.
Sebaggala was convicted of money laundering in the US in 2005, but he said it was a minor offence.
“It is true I was convicted in 2005 in the US, but of a misdemeanour that cannot prevent me from standing for the party’s presidency or that of Uganda,†Sebaggala told the High Court on Friday.
When asked what kind of offence he was convicted of, Sebaggala said “money transferâ€, which he described as “of a minor natureâ€.
Sebaggala was being cross-examined by the Democratic Party (DP) lawyers on his affidavit in which he accused the party leadership of frustrating his efforts to become the next party leader.
DP lawyers John Baptist Kakooza, Abdallah Kiwanuka, Medard Lubega Seggona and Damian Lubega bombarded Sebaggala with questions related to his English language proficiency, eligibility after conviction for the bank fraud and intellectual capacity to lead the party.
Even after Sebaggala had been shown an article in the DP’s Constitution that states that members with mental illnesses or those convicted of corrupt practices, felony or declared bankrupt shall not be nominated to any office of the party, he insisted that he was qualified, because the offence he was convicted of did not fall in any of the categories mentioned, referring to it as a “misterdemeanour†(misdemeanour).
Sebaggala dragged DP chief John Ssebaana Kizito and national chairman Prof Joseph Mukiibi to court, arguing that they had violated the party constitution to stop the delegates’ conference from being held on November 29, 2009 as had been scheduled.
The party also abruptly cancelled the grassroots elections.
Sebaggala asked court to compel the party executive to hold the delegates conference before the end of the year and to stop the party from altering or disrupting the already concluded grassroots elections.
Although Sebaggala’s lawyers, Hassan Kamba and Hajara Nakendo, asked court to compel the DP lawyers to reply to their final submissions on Friday, Justice Vincent Zehurikize adjourned the case to January 25.
However, Zehurikize urged the two sides to sit together as members of one party and peacefully solve their differences.