UGANDA: Reporting a corruption incident involving 2 top public servants

Lt.Col. Edith Nakalema
Head of Anti-Corruption Unit
President's Office
KAMPALA.

REPORTING A CORRUPTION INCIDENT INVOLVING TWO TOP PUBLIC SERVANTS

May I congratulate you upon you recent appointment as Head of the Anti-corruption Unit under the President's office.  As a good citizen I wish to draw your attention to a corruption incident involving two Ugandans.

A federal court in USA has found guilty a Chinese national, a one Patrick Ho Chi-ping for offering a $1,000,000 bribe to two Ugandan public servants namely Yoweri Museveni (Exhibit 1510) and Sam Kutesa (Exhibit 1504).

The two are holding the offices of the Head of State and the Minister of Foreign Affairs respectively. The said bribe was in a bid to secure business dealings in railway services, infrastructure construction, fishing, hydro-energy, banking and finance as well as tourism for the Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy Co. CEFC also offered profit-sharing through a partnership with the Museveni and Kutesa family businesses.

Kutesa’s $500,000 bribe was paid via a wire transfer from HSBC bank in Hong Kong (China) through an intermediary HSBC bank (USA) to Stannic bank in Uganda on May 6, 2016.

Museveni's $500,000 bribe termed as "campaign donation" was delivered in May 2016 ahead of Museveni's swearing in for his current term of office.

Before leaving for Uganda and delivering Museveni's bribe, Ho asked Kutesa for help with the customs officials in regards to Museveni's bribe that was delivered in gift boxes, court heard.

Ho stated in an email also copied Kutesa's wife Edith, "As we are about to board the plan[e] to Uganda, we are preparing to bring with us some very 'nice' gifts to your President and to [the Ugandan Foreign minister] to celebrate the occasion. We shall require special assistance with your customs procedure. Please assist in whatever way you can otherwise we will have to make other plans."

Indeed, Ho did come to Kampala and met Museveni (see the attached group photo that he took with Museveni and Kutesa).

During the trial, court also heard that so successful was Ho’s meeting with Museveni, that he wrote to CEFC chairman Ye (who also worked as a special advisor to Kutesa during his time as President of UN General Assembly) that Museveni was willing to undo already completed bids in oil blocks in order to award the concessions to CEFC.

Since the matter falls under your mandate, I strongly believe that you will make a thorough followup.  As a Born Again Christian, you can neither be compromised nor intimidated unless you are the Allen Kagina type of hypocrite Born Agains.  Ugandans are anxiously waiting to see your office meet their expectations with regard to this incident.

Thank you.

CONCERNED CITIZEN

c.c:    Speaker of Parliament
c.c:    Chief Justice
c.c:    Inspector General of
          Government
c.c:    Inspector General of
          Police
c.c:    Director of Public
          Prosecution
c.c:    Head of Financial
          Intelligence Authority