By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: After Senior International lawyer George William Alenyo suing Professor Patrick Ogwang Engweu, the inventor of Covid-19 treatment supplementary drug known as Covidex, seeking orders that he was not the lawful proprietor of Covidex and therefore should remit monies collected to the consolidated fund, TheSpy Uganda has finally landed on a full list of correspondents, and details of the entire team of plaintiffs. The team of fearless lawyers led by renowned International lawyer George William Alenyo have sued a total of 12 other Government bodies along side prof.Ogwang, most for negligence of duty.
The twelve (12) include; National Drug Authority(NDA), Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), National Forestry Authority(NFA), Mbarara University of Science and Technology(MUST), Uganda Registration and Services Bureau (URSB), Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda, Jena Herbals Uganda Limited (Prof Ogwanga’s alleged company), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), The Attorney General and prof.Ogwang himself.
Alenyo avers that prof.Ogwang used a machine donated to Uganda by former Cuban President Fidel Castro fixed in Mbarara University, and the university premises to to do research, for which he is paid from the consolidated fund, but now wants to own the research and the product, yet he is an employee of Government.
According to one of the documents containing evidence on the same intercepted by our spy, Lawyer Alenyo narrates that the whole idea to promote herbal science in Uganda started in 1986, when the ruling government came to power and launched a ten-point program to lead the people of Uganda, of which number six was to provide a vibrant health sector. It adds that in 1989, the government and the Republic of Cuba under the late Fidel Castro signed a Solidarity Agreement to benefit the people of Uganda and established Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda to promote medical science.
“In 2001, the government of Uganda with a World Bank facilitation established the Pharma Bio-Technology and Traditional Management Centre, one of the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centre of Excellence, promoting herbal and natural products in Africa. In June 2021, Ogwang, a public servant who draws his salary from the consolidated fund at MUST and the Pharma Bio Centre applied for his personal name and obtained clearance from the NDA to sell and personally collect revenue from a drug called Covidex, developed at the government of Uganda facilities and laboratories and with staff of MUST and Pharma Bio Centre.
Now, What Is Alenyo’s Interest In This COVIDEX Saga?
Lawyer, Alenyo wants a declaration that the Covidex drug is a proprietary patent for the government of Uganda, having been developed on government funds, premises, laboratories and by government public servants paid salaries from the consolidated fund.
He also wants the court to order the Uganda Revenue Authority to revert all tax issues related to Covidex drugs to the government of Uganda under the Public Finance Act and close all taxation and revenue accounts in the names of Ogwang and his company Jena Herbals Uganda Limited.
“The plaintiffs aver that actions of the 1st defendant (Ogwang) to attempt to own another’s (GoU’s) patent on Covidex in trust for The People of Uganda, is unlawful and the 1st defendant ought to be condemned to general damages and a permanent injunction to be issued against him to claim Covidex patent,” adds the document.
Meanwhile, in our previous editions, we discovered that Lawyer Alenyo was joined in the suit by the Christian Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Tourism which seeks to fight criminality, corruption and to promote access to companies data worldwide so as to enable people to know who they are working with or working for.
Did You Know Details Of The Plaintiffs & Defendants In Lawyer Alenyo’s Case, Here They’re
The 1st plaintiff is a male adult Ugandan lawyer of sound mind and high intellect, whose address of service for the purpose of this suit is Clo M/S Katongole & Co. Advocates, Plot 50, Kampala Road, Suit No. 2, P.O Box 4647, Tel 0784 906 130.
The 2nd plaintiffs a Christian Chamber registered in Uganda and of the same address as the 1″ plaintiff.
The 1″ defendant is a Ugandan adult Ugandan presumed to be of sound mind
and employed as a Public Servant in Mbarara University of Science and Technology at the rank of Professor / Lecturer and Head of Department in Mbarara, Uganda.
The 2nd defendant is a statutory body established under an Act of Parliament: National Drug Authority Act (1993) to control and regulate all drugs in Uganda and its Headquarters are in Kampala.
The 3rd defendant is a statutory organization established under an Act of Parliament – Uganda National Bureau of Standards Act Cap 327 and has operated since 1989. And is responsible for the formulation, promotion of the use of, and the enforcement of the standards in the protection of the environment.
The 4th defendant is a statutory organization established in May 1995 and amended under the National Environment Act 2019 to enforce Environment Impact Assessment for all industries Inter Alia and to protect Uganda’s environment.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL LAW SUIT AND SUMMONS—Alenyo Vs Prof Ogwang
The 5th defendant is the National Forestry Authority, a statutory organization mandated to manage and control trees, flora and fauna in Uganda, including the tree Warburgia Ugandensis the tree from which Covidex extracts are got.
The 6th defendant is a Ugandan Government Public University funded by the government and hosting the Pharm Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre (PHARMABIOTRAC)
The 7th defendant is a government body established in Uganda under an act of Parliament to register patents and intellectual property and keep a record of such in Uganda including Intellectual Property on drugs and medicines.
The 8th defendant is a professional society of pharmacists in Uganda of which the first defendant is a member and which society regulates all pharmacists in Uganda material in the Covidex issue.
The 9th defendant is a company limited by shares registered with Uganda Registration Services Bureau.
