We did not harass her! Police’s CID refutes claims by former Minister Mbayo

The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) Spokesperson Charles Twine has refuted claims by former minister for Presidency, Esther Mbulakubuza Mbayo that she was harassed at their headquarters in Kibuli.

On 13^th September 2021, acting on behalf of director CID, Julius Twinomujuni summoned Mbayo to appear at CID headquarters Kibuli on September 15, 2021, before the acting Commissioner of Police Economic Crime and Financial intelligence for a statement in respect to an investigation concerning misuse of office and embezzlement.

“The directorate of criminal investigations is investigating allegations of abuse of office, embezzlement and causing financial loss of Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation where you were a supervisor of the said corporation from 2019 to 2021,” said Twinomujuni in a document seen by this website.

However, while addressing journalists at Police headquarters on Monday , Twine revealed that the former Minister did not honour police summons, claiming she was abroad. She also told them that they have no power to summon her and asked them to summon her through the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah.

“The summons was dually served to the office of the Speaker and I wish to inform the public the Rt Hon Speaker responded to our summons immediately and guided us that the summoned member could report at CID headquarters at any date that was beyond 20^th September because she was out of the country for official duties but to our dismay, the member of Parliament while on the floor of Parliament used her immunity to blatantly lie to the public that she was harassed at CID headquarters and I want to clarify that Hon Mbayo has not been at CID headquarters and therefore there is nobody who has harassed her as she tried to insinuate.”

Twine added that currently, politicians who are in conflict with the law tend to divert the masses by falsely alleging that they were brutalized by the security officers.

“This is one of the latest tactics being used but unfortunately, Ugandans know the truth. We, therefore, want to clarify that and wish to inform the public that despite the lies by Hon Mbayo, our investigations shall continue and endeavour to summon her at CID headquarters and assist in the investigations that we are conducting in respect to embezzlement and abuse of office in the office of Uganda Printery and publishing cooperation.”

The Luuka Woman Member of Parliament ascended to the powerful Ministry for the Presidency in 2016 and served until President Museveni dropped her in the recent reshuffle after the 2021 elections.