The Anti-corruption court under Justice Margret Tibulya, convicted former junior minister for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki on corruption charges and asked him to pay a fine of Shs10 Million, failure of which he has to serve three years in prison.
Kabafunzaki, a former MP for Rukiga County [2016-2021], now Rukiga District, is also barred from holding public office for a period of 10 years. He was charged with two counts of corruption contrary to section 2 (a) and 26 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 and one count of conspiracy contrary to section 390 of the penal code Act.
The former minister, who was arrested on April 8, 2017, is jointly charged with two others, who include Mr Brian Mugabo, his political assistant, and Mr Bruce Lubowa, an interior designer in Wakiso District.
Kabafunzaki and his two aides were arrested on April 8 2017 at Serena hotel in Kampala for soliciting a bribe from Aya Group Chairman Mohammed Hamid. He was nabbed by security operatives from police and Special Forces Command (SFC) at Serena’s Explorer bar after Hamid handed him Shs 5 million.
Hamid is the Chairman of Aya Group of Companies conglomerate and proprietor of Pearl of Africa Hotel. During the course of the trial, Kabafunzaki reportedly went missing.
The presiding judge pushed his wife, Ms Doreen Kabafunzaki, to produce him in court, saying she did not believe that she did not know the whereabouts of her husband.
Justice Tibulya reasoned that Ms Kabafunzaki did not report a matter of a missing person at the nearest police station.
Prosecution
Under the count of corruption, prosecution says on April 8, 2017, while performing his duties as minister at Kampala Serena Hotel, Kabafunzaki directly solicited Shs15m from Mr Hamid as a gratification.
In court count two of corruption, the state alleges that on the same day, the minister directly accepted Shs5m as a gratification from Hamid.
In the third count of conspiracy to commit a felony, the State said between April 6 and 8, 2017, Mr Kabafunzaki conspired with Mr Lubowa to solicit a gratification of Shs15m from Hamid.
Mr Mugabo separately, faces a single charge of being an accessory after fact.
