UTL saga: Undersiege minister Anite dragged to IGG for investigation

A whistle-blower has petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Irene Mulyagonja and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate State Minister of Finance for Investment and Privatization Evelyn Anite over irregular deals on embattled Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL).

In a petition dated August 9, 2019, the concerned Ugandan alleged that the minister left the country under the guise of going for her graduation in the US but later sneaked into Mauritius via France to meet officials from Mauritius Telecom Limited , one of the companies she favoured to win the tender to recapitalize UTL.

The whistle-blower further said that in Mauritius, Anite met with a team responsible for ensuring the deal happens and they acquire UTL at a much less value than the asset value estimated at USD 84 million.

After her meeting, Anite is said to have dashed back to the US and then back to Uganda to conceal her to trip Mauritius.

The whistle-blower also referred to a recently reported trip that officials from Mauritius Telecom made to Kampala.
It is said that the officials had mounted pressure on the Minister to close the deal. It is at the same time that Anite launched a campaign in the media to have Bemanya Twebaze removed from being the Administrator and branded colleagues in the cabinet as mafia.

“Indeed sources close to the Honorable Minister indicate that the assets she acquired soon after her dealings with Mauritius Telecom are not commensurate to her earnings as Member of Parliament and junior Minister,” says the whistle-blower in the letter to anti-corruption agencies of government.

“I find her conduct tantamounting to influence peddling, abuse of office, corruption, and conduct unbecoming of a Minister and Honorable Member of Parliament. I have reliable information that Hon Anite secretly left the USA around 4th August 2019 and traveled to Mauritius via France.”

The concerned Ugandan also questioned Anite’s vested interests in dealing with the Mauritius telecom officials yet they are offering less value to UTL. Additionally, the whistle-blower pointed out the fact that Anite continued to handle matters of UTL despite being on leave.

“All her other official matters were handled by Hon Bahati except UTL matters in which she has personal interests. This was irregular considering she was officially on leave,” the letter reads further.

The whistle-blower also questions Anite’s conduct using her social media to challenge cabinet positions.

“Following the RT Honorable Speaker’s ruling, she went ahead on social and mainstream media to discuss and challenge a Cabinet decision, this behavior is unconstitutional and contrary to the rules of procedure of Parliament and contravenes collective responsibility,” adds the letter to the Anti-corruption Unit.”

The whistle-blower now wants the IGG to verify Anite’s secret mission in Mauritius and in particular the timing of the trip to the country as well as the current crisis regarding UTL; why the trip was secretly booked and not part of her initial booking to USA; investigate her personal interests and why she continued handling official duties on leave including writing and signing letters pertaining to UTL matters even when she had left her colleague Bahati to handle her official duties.