Government will not plead for jailed nationals

Aug 25, 2009

THE government will not plead for Ugandans jailed abroad for criminal offences, the state minister in charge of foreign affairs has said.

By Madinah Tebajjukira

THE government will not plead for Ugandans jailed abroad for criminal offences, the state minister in charge of foreign affairs has said.

Appearing before MPs on the foreign affairs committee yesterday, Isaac Musumba said the Government cannot plead for nationals who committee offences.

He said such people were supposed to respect the laws of the host countries.

“Why do you bother government to help you when you commit an offence knowingly? For God’s sake, how can we help people arrested over impersonation or drug trafficking?” Musumba asked.

He explained that Uganda signed international protocols to fight crimes like drug trafficking.

Over 55 Ugandans are in jail abroad over various offences. At least 38 are in China, where eight were sentenced to death for drug trafficking.

Another 11 Ugandans in China are serving life imprisonment, while the rest are serving 20-year sentences.

Twelve are held in Iran over drug trafficking. Eight of them were sentenced to death, while others are still battling with lengthy trials.

Those held in China and Iran were arrested between 2006 and 2008. Three of them are Makerere University graduates.

Relatives of Henry Kayondo petitioned Parliament to secure his release. According to the petition, Kayondo was arrested in Japan last year over impersonation.

Kayondo had overstayed in Japan, which prompted him to use another person’s passport to come back to Uganda.

Kayondo was reportedly returning with 35 vehicles and 12 containers of goods, which could not be traced.

Musumba said he had asked the Ugandan embassy in Japan to secure Kayondo’s property.

He said the Government would ask China to allow the convicts serve their sentences in Uganda.

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