By Spy Uganda
Kampala: Ugandan President-Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has proposed a change of the law to deny bail to suspects charged with corruption of public funds in the first 180 days on remand.
Meeting NRM parliamentary caucus on Friday at Kololo Independence Grounds, Museveni noted, “If someone is arrested for embezzlement, they should not be given bail, except if 180 days have passed without him or her being tried.”
Museveni who noted that he has already tasked the Attorney General to start on the process further noted, “Stealing of government money must stop. I have the MPs and the Constitution gives you the power to legislate if you have seen a problem where people are stealing government money and are being handled with kind gloves.”
Legal Perspective Of Museveni’s Proposal
According to Museveni, the law would remove the discretionary powers of the judges to grant bail to suspects for certain crime categories.
It’s worth noting that the right to bail is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 23 (6) of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.
According to Article 28, an accused person is to be presumed innocent until he/she is proved or he/she pleads guilty contrary to Museveni’s new proposal.
Why Museveni Angry With Corrupt Mafias?
Museveni’s anger could have been triggered by a previous revelation by TheSpy Uganda that discovered that the State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Col Edith Nakalema recovered Shs 26B that had already been disbursed by ruthless corrupt mafias, and she forced the relevant individuals to cough it back into the Government coffers.
According to data obtained by this website from State House, 299 suspects have been charged so far and 39 successfully convicted after her office intervention. After her numerous arrests in some Government Agencies, actually, some who used to report losses are now reporting profits.
For instance, after the arrest of top management of the National Animal Genetic Resources Center and Data Bank (NAGRC &DB), revenue increased from Shs800m where it had stagnated for decades, or even lesser to now a whooping Shs3.66Billion in just a month. As a result, therefore, her boss-President Museveni believes handling corrupt mafias with rough hands as Nakalema does, will curb corruption in Uganda.
