Buganda Road court has summoned Kawempe South member of parliament Mubarak Munyagwa on corruption charges. The January 15 criminal summon was issued by the Buganda Road court Grade One magistrate, Moses Mushebebe Nabende.
"You are hereby commanded by the Uganda government to appear in this court on the 15th day of February 2019 at 9:00am or as soon as the case can be heard," reads the summon.
The corruption charges are related to a land deal gone bad during Munyagwa's tenure as Kawempe Division lord mayor. In April 2017, Munyagwa was sent to Luzira maximum security prison where he spent two nights for alleged failure to pay back Shs 100m he owed to John Baptist Maali.
Mali ran to court after Munyagwa failed to give him the land he had paid for on Kyadondo block 205, Plot 509 in Kawempe measuring 0.316 hectares. Maali says he asked Munyagwa to refund his money in vain.
Munyagwa was released after making a down payment of Shs 15 million and promising to pay the balance later. The criminal summons come at the backdrop of the contested leadership of the parliamentary committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) which is investigating the closure and sell of seven commercial banks by the central bank.
Forum for Democratic Change nominated Munywagwa as Cosase chairperson deputised by Moses Kasibante. The duo is expected to take over from the current chairperson Abdu Katuntu and his vice, Anita Among whose tenure expired on January 13 but were granted an extension by speaker Rebecca Kadaga amidst protestations from FDC.