CID to summon Muhwezi, Mukula over Global Fund

May 16, 2009

The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) is to summon former health ministers Jim Muhwezi and Mike Mukula for fresh interrogation over the Global Fund scam.

By Chris Kiwawulo

The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) is to summon former health ministers Jim Muhwezi and Mike Mukula for fresh interrogation over the Global Fund scam.

The date for their interrogation is yet to be fixed, according to CID chief Edward Ochom. “We shall summon them when time comes, but not now. Investigations are still going on, even for other cases. We have a special team handling these (Global Fund) cases.”

Ochom said the former ministers’ files would be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) when investigations are complete. The CID boss, however, did not give a time frame for the investigations and possible prosecution.

Whereas Mukula was interrogated over the Global Fund scam last year, Muhwezi skipped Police interrogation twice. In October 2008, the CID postponed the interrogations until further notice after the date they had set for Mukula to appear turned out to be a public holiday. However, Mukula said he was ready for the interrogations and would turn up immediately he is summoned.

Prosecution of 38 people implicated in the loss of $1.6m Global Fund money has already kicked off. The suspects face trial in the anti-corruption court that sits in the High Court in Kampala.

The DPP, Richard Buteera, last month said Muhwezi and his deputies; Mukula and Alex Kamugisha, were among the officials being investigated.

“We have a number of cases we are investigating including the ministers.

Those which get ready, we get to court immediately. We go by those that we have finished investigating,” he said.

Buteera said the suspects were being investigated or prosecuted in order of prominence.

Mukula and Muhwezi recently said they had been cleared of accusations of embezzling Global Fund money by the Government White Paper.

Mukula said they were only being investigated for perjury.

A commission of inquiry into the Global Fund headed by Justice James Ogoola concluded that Muhwezi had lied under oath and interfered in the operational matters of the project.

The commission recommended that Muhwezi and his deputies “be investigated further with a view to prosecution” for perjury. They were also required to return Global Fund money they had misused.

Others asked to refund the money include Vice President Gilbert Bukenya, whose Busiro North Development Foundation obtained sh80m.

So far two people have been sent to Luzira over the Global Fund cash. Teddy Sseezi Cheeye, director of economic monitoring in the Internal Security Organisation, was last month sentenced to 10 years in prison for embezzling sh120m. He will also pay back sh110m to the Global Fund. Earlier, Fred Kavuma, a producer with former UTV (now UBC), was sentenced to five years in jail.

In the latest trial, State attorney Alice Komuhangi asked court to convict the two directors of Valued Health, a local NGO, for mismanaging sh18.7m from Global Fund.

In her final submission recently, Komuhangi stated that Annaliza Mondon and Elizabeth Ngororano turned government money to personal use. Godfrey Wasswa, a court assessor, also prayed for the conviction of the duo, saying prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Defence lawyers Didas Nkurunziza and Mohammed Mbabazi asked court to acquit the accused, saying there was no evidence incriminating them.

Justice John Bosco Katutsi said he would deliver his judgement on August 3.

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