Mbabazi defends phone tapping

May 12, 2009

SECURITY minister Amama Mbabazi has defended the phone tapping Bill, saying it aims at intercepting communication of criminal suspects.

By Milton Olupot

SECURITY minister Amama Mbabazi has defended the phone tapping Bill, saying it aims at intercepting communication of criminal suspects.

Appearing before the ICT committee of Parliament yesterday, Mbabazi argued that the law would enable security agencies to provide such information as evidence in court.

The Bill seeks to empower the security minister to issue warrants to intercept communication in case of threats of terrorism and other crimes against the State.

It also empowers security agencies to intercept terrorism-related postal letters and monetary payments.

But the committee chaired by Edward Baliddawa said the powers to issue warrants for interception should be vested on a High Court judge, adding that the security minister may be politically biased towards some people.

They also expressed fear that the Bill, if enacted in its current form, would infringe on people’s right to privacy.

But the minister maintained that the Bill was for security reasons.

He explained that the Bill did not infringe on the right to privacy, but would protect individuals.

Responding to the argument by the MPs that judges in other countries had the power to issue warrants, Mbabazi explained that even in the UK where judges initially took this task, the role was later allocated to secretaries, who are the equivalent of ministers.

MPs also questioned the viability of registering people who buy mobile phones.

Mbabazi argued that the procedure happens in most countries.

“You cannot go to the street and pick a phone, commit a crime and throw it a way. We must have a record of who owns what communication gadget,” he said.

Mbabazi also stressed that the Government would intercept suspected postal articles and examine them as evidence in case of criminal prosecution.

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