Odoi: Minister Nantaba faces arrest over polls fraud

By Eddie Ssejjoba & Ashiraf Kasirye                         

NRM electoral commission chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, has given four hours to lands state minister, Aidah Nantaba, to report to the party bosses and apologize for allegedly getting involved in election fraud or face arrest.

According to Tanga, Nantaba was involved in commandeering election ballot papers from the EC command centre in Luzira using a racket of fraudsters.

He said one suspect was arrested on Sunday night after he sneaked into the centre at Bishop Cyprian Kihangire Secondary School in Luzira with a box of ballot papers, which he said he had managed to steal from the officers dispatching election materials for transportation to different locations throughout the country.

The suspect is alleged to have confessed that he had been commissioned by the minister to steal ballot boxes. However, the minister has vehemently dismissed the allegations.

By the time the New Vision visited the area, it was highly guarded, with several police personnel waiting to escort vehicles and workers sorting out materials for every district.

“Nantaba was involved in a scam, she has to report to the NRM vice chairman, Hajji Moses Kigongo and apologize before I can act,” Tanga told journalists at Luzira.

He asserted that Nantaba sent some people to steal ballots with an intention of sabotaging and portraying a negative image to the party electoral process yet she had already pulled out of the primaries.

The alleged suspect was arrested by security that followed his movements and later detained at Kitintale police post from where he was transferred to Jinja Road police station.

Tanga said the suspect talked to the minister on phone put in loud speaker and they heard her still instructing the man on what to do.

“Security men got the man seated with a ballot box inside the centre, which he had secured. This is a scam not only for NRM but for the national elections, a minister having a racket, sending people in such a no-go area?” Tanga said.

Tanga swore to deal with Nantaba if she fails to report to Hajji Kigongo to explain and apologize over the alleged scam.