Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has been asked to probe bribery claims against Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa.
A section of person claiming to be concerned persons about Sam Kutesa’s conduct handed a petition to Kadaga on Friday.
The petition follows the trial in New York of two businessmen charged for paying millions of dollars in bribes to secure business deals in Uganda and Chad on behalf of a Shanghai-based multi-billion-dollar conglomerate allegedly seeking to gain business advantages in Africa.
The two; Dr Chi Ping Patrick Ho, 68, and Cheikh Gadio, the former foreign minister of Senegal were charged with violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international money laundering and conspiracy to commit both.
Kutesa reportedly received a USD 500,000 (1.8 billion Shillings) bribe from Ho, one of the accused persons, via wires transmitted through New York to his account in Uganda. U.S federal prosecutors said that the bribe paid on or about May 6, 2016, was meant to secure business advantages for the company, and potential acquisition of a Ugandan bank.
Ho reportedly wanted Kutesa to connect the said energy company to President Yoweri Museveni and thereby assist the company to obtain lucrative opportunities in Uganda’s energy sector.
The youths that petitioned the Speaker said the world is now watching to see what Ugandans will do in regards to the acts of Sam Kutesa.
They demand that the Parliament should institute a process of probing into the bribery allegations including possible impeachment. Kutesa was in 1999 censured by Parliament for alleged misuse of office and influence-peddling.
