Cosase boss Munyagwa excited as High Court blocks his corruption trial

The High Court in Kampala has blocked Mubarak Munyagwa’s corruption trial by the Anti-Corruption Court.

Munyagwa is the Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) chairperson also Kawempe South Member of Parliament.

The court order issued by High Court Assistant Registrar Joy Kabagye on Monday directed the Attorney General to halt the criminal prosecution against the legislator until his petition challenging the trial is heard.

“Since the state has conceded to the order presented by the defence lawyers, this case shall be stayed as we wait for the outcome of the main cause that is set to be heard on November 11,” the trial chief magistrate at the Anti-Corruption Court,  Pamella Lamunu, ruled on Monday after receiving a copy of the High Court order from Munyagwa’s lawyers.

In September this year, Justice Lamunu ordered Munyagwa to appear before the Anti-Corruption Court on November 4, 2019 to face the corruption charges.

She went ahead to dismiss the legislator’s application that sought to block his trial.

Munyagwa had stated that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had no right to institute corruption charges against him when the complainant lost interest.

However, Justice Lamunu said court was not moved by a letter written to it by the complainant Francis Kakumba expressing loss of interest in the pending court case.

She also agreed with the DPP that criminal offences are committed against the State and not individuals.

Prosecution alleges that in 2015, Munyagwa while still Kawempe Division Mayor, solicited Shs100 million from businessman Kakumba to get his son Isaac Muyanja a job.

Prior, Munyagwa had received a letter from the then Minister of Presidency Frank Tumwebaze, asking him to nominate somebody to represent the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) on the division land board.

However, the deal did not go well as planned since Kakumba’s son was rejected on grounds that he did not match some of the qualifications.

In return, according to police, Munyagwa promised to compensate Kakumba with a plot of land at Kalerwe in Kampala.

“A disagreement ensued between Munyagwa and Kakumba when he (Munyagwa) offered the latter a small piece of land which he rejected. Kakumba purportedly wanted the land plus some money and this prompted him to run to Kabalagala Police Station.”