Source: Anne Mugisa, http://www.newvision.co.ug

Britain returns bribe paid to Ugandan officials


The British Government has returned a bribe recovered from a presidential adviser

convicted in London for fraudulently soliciting the money from a security contractor

ahead of the Commonwealth Summit last year.

The British High Commissioner in Kampala, Martin Shearman,

yesterday handed over a sh116, 895,187 cheque to the Inspector General of Government (IGG),

Faith Mwondha, which Ananias Gweinho Tumukunde received from CBRN Team Ltd in May.

Tumukunde pleaded guilty to money-laundering charges.

He and a Ugandan army officer, Rusoke Tagaswire, received 83,000 pound sterling

from the government contractor, according to a statement from the British government.

Tumukunde and Rusoke opened bank accounts in the UK for the purpose.

Rusoke has not been prosecuted.

The British High Commission said Tumukunde signed a contract of 210,000 pound sterling

with CBRN for the supply of training equipment to the UPDF in preparation for CHOGM.

After the contract, Tumukunde asked CBRN's chief Niels Tobiasen from Denmark for

an additional 83,000 pound sterling for a purported local tax of 10%.

Tobiasen agreed and a total of five local tax payments worth 83,000 pound sterling were made

to both Tumukunde and Rusoke between June 1, 2007 and February 11, 2008,

the High Commission said.

The payments were purportedly made as part of an agency agreement.

In fact, they were inducements going directly into bank accounts

opened by Tumukunde and Tagaswire in the UK.

Tumukunde had also inflated the costs, making the Ugandan Government

pay 62,000 pound sterling more.

CBRN was also made to pay 21,000 Pound Sterling more, according to the High Commission.

The City of London Police arrested Tumukunde when he landed there on April 3,

this year and charged him.

The police had a day before searched the CBRN Ltd offices

and arrested two men including Tobiasen, who pleaded guilty.

Tumukunde was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment but was released

on October 7, 2008 on the basis of time spent on remand and good conduct.

He was deported to Uganda. Tobiasen was sentenced to five months imprisonment.

The High Commissioner, Martin Shearman,

underscored the need to fight corruption because of its high cost to society.

Corruption is an international, not just a developing country, problem.

The UK is committed to tackling foreign bribery. Investigating and prosecuting

those individuals or companies guilty of criminal behaviour sends

a clear message to UK companies not to engage in corruption.

IGG Mwondha commended the British Government for the return of the money.

The corrupt in Uganda, she said, use ill-gotten wealth to frustrate justice and to evade punishment.

Mwondha said after her investigation of the misuse of

the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisation fund, some sh250m was recovered.

The money, which is on the Assets Recovery Account, will be used as exhibit to prosecute the suspects.

Three former health ministers Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Dr. Alex Kamugisha, Mike Mukula

and former State House employee Alice Kaboyo are on trial over the funds.

Source: Anne Mugisa, http://www.newvision.co.ug


--
Jean-Louis Kayitenkore
Procurement Consultant
Gsm:   (250) 08470205
Home: (250) 55104140
P.O. Box 3867
Kigali - RWANDA
East AFRICA
Blog: http://cepgl.blogspot.com
Skype ID: kayisa66