President MUSEVENI Accused of Subverting East African Community

The newly-formed Freedom and Unity Front (FUF) of Uganda says President Yoweri Museveni is out to destroy the East African Community, which comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda.

In its latest "Situation Analysis Report," the group said Museveni's scheme is manifested in his attempt to isolate Tanzania and Burundi by not inviting their leaders to recent regional summits.

Museveni, chairperson of the International  Conference for the Great Lakes Region, has been mediating peace talks in Kampala between the Congolese government M23 rebels.

David Sejusa, one of the leaders of the FUF, said Museveni has also been a sponsor of the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as part of his efforts to further destabilize the region.

"He started that rebellion. He gave them arms, he gave them financial support, he gave them equipment, and he gave them uniforms. So, it's not like I'm talking out of the blue. But, then, the chameleon he is, he turns around and then he postures as if he's the one who wants to bring peace," he said.

Museveni, chairperson of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region, has been mediating peace talks in Kampala between the Congolese government M23 rebels.

The M23 earlier this month announced it was ending its rebellion, but a peace deal that was supposed to have been signed November 10th was delayed after the Congolese government said it wanted the document to be called a 'declaration' and not a 'peace agreement.'

Sejusa said Museveni is not a genuine peace broker since he helped start the Congo war.
"This is always his power game. You create the problem, then twist it in a different way for two reasons: one, manage the international community to remain relevant, but also manage the political process, which may come out of that instability," Sejusa said.

The FUF said in its latest "Situation Analysis Report" that Museveni was trying to undermine the East African Community.

"You must have heard his machinations of breaking the East African Community treaty and to subvert the process by trying to eliminate Tanzania and Burundi. You have heard about the bad mouthing President [Jakaya] Kikwete when Tanzania has been a credible and longtime and trusted ally of the East African Community," he said.

Sejusa says what Museveni's actions are reminiscent of the reign of the late Ugandan dictator Idi Ami, which led to the collapse of the East African Community.

"So, this is a biggest betrayal of Mr. Museveni against the African people because he is betraying the greatest post-independence dream of empowerment and the emancipation of our people, which is centered into a broader political entity to enhance trade, enhance cooperation and development, but also to minimize wars in these areas so that we can concentrate on investment instead of buying arms," Sejusa said.

Tanzanian President Kikwete was not invited to an ECA meeting held last August in Mombasa and attended by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Museveni (Uganda) and Paul Kagame (Rwanda). The meeting was called to discuss cross-border infrastructure projects.

ECA officials reportedly said Tanzania and Burundi were not been invited because the projects under discussion, including an oil pipeline and a standard gauge railway, involved only the three countries present.

The FUF describes itself as a "new liberation platform to unite different liberation forces, political organizations and individuals to free Uganda from Yoweri Museveni."

Corruption Report Fingers Museveni

LLI, Kampala — A new report on corruption in Uganda names President Yoweri Museveni as one of those responsible for what it calls widespread "bribery, nepotism, and misuse of official positions and resources" in the country.

The report, published in Kampala on Monday, says that since Museveni came to power in 1986, "waves of scandals" have hit his administration.

"Members of his inner circle—from both military and cabinet—have been accused of theft and improper procurement of state resources by the media, civil society, the auditor general, and parliament," the report says.

But despite "many plans and relentless promises... corruption in Uganda remains pervasive at both low and high levels of public administration... Only one minister has ever been convicted of a corruption-related offense, a verdict that was overturned on appeal just after the president publicly offered to pay the defendant's legal costs."

The report is based on research by the New York-based advocacy group, Human Rights Watch, and the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic of Yale University earlier this year.
It notes that media attention often concentrates on the "big fish who got away" but that the solutions proposed rely on "technical responses."

"Those responses overlook what, based on past actions, can be described as the government's deep-rooted lack of political will to address corruption at the highest levels and importantly, to set an example- starting from the top - that graft will not be tolerated," the report goes on to say.

Among issues highlighted by the report:

• The president and Parliament "have failed to empower key institutions, either by failing to fill key vacancies or by failing to establish institutions..."
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• High-ranking officials whose offices have been implicated in corruption often remain in their positions while individuals under them have faced prosecution and, in some cases, jail.
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• Lack of protection for witnesses and prosecutors has resulted in a focus on "low-level corruption involving small sums of money, while the 'big fish' have continued to accumulate wealth and power."

The report adds: "In some Anti-Corruption Court cases involving well-connected individuals, senior officials have directed prosecutors to delay prosecution or prematurely try a case with incomplete or weak evidence.

"Investigators, prosecutors, and witnesses involved in such cases have been the targets of threats and requests for bribes.In some Anti-Corruption Court cases involving well-connected individuals, senior officials have directed prosecutors to delay prosecution or prematurely try a case with incomplete or weak evidence. Investigators, prosecutors, and witnesses involved in such cases have been the targets of threats and requests for bribes."

In a press release accompanying the report, Human Rights Watch said it was based on interviews with 48 people "with substantive knowledge of anti-corruption efforts in Uganda" and on reports from local activists, foreign development partners and the World Bank.

Corruption, financial crime and asset recovery focus of INTERPOL meeting in Nigeria-LLI

Legal link International,ABUJA, Nigeria – Senior investigators and prosecutors from West, East and Central Africa have come together in Nigeria to discuss ways to successfully identify, investigate and prosecute cases of corruption and related financial crimes at the 6th INTERPOL Global Programme on Anti-Corruption, Financial Crimes and Asset Recovery.

Organized by INTERPOL’s Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes unit in coordination with the INTERPOL Regional Bureau in Abidjan and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria, the five-day (7-11 October) meeting gathered some 60 participants from 16 countries to examine the latest tools and techniques for investigating different forms of corruption.

Topics covered included fraud, financial crimes, abuse of authority, corruption in procurement and contracting, corruption in the financial sector, abuse of public office, money laundering, auditing and computer forensics, asset recovery and the effective use of mutual legal assistance in international investigations.

Ibrahim Lamorde, Executive Director of the EFCC, highlighted the critical role of international police cooperation in successfully tackling corruption in Africa and beyond.
“Corruption on the scale in which we confront it today is hardly a simplistic, one-man criminal endeavour.

That is why we are devoting enormous resources to set up operational institutions, build legal architectures and drive through reform programmes. But these efforts will always come up short against determined criminals if they are not backed by inter-agency cooperation,” warned Mr Lamorde.

Presentations during the meeting – the first of its kind held in West Africa – focused on case studies, challenges to successful investigations, prosecutions of corruption cases and information specifically relevant to the African region, with practical exercises to assist participants in enhancing their skills and abilities.

“Corruption and financial crimes are growing security threats to our societies. Investigating corruption and financial crime requires better understanding of the crime,” said Inspector General of the Nigerian Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

“To stay ahead of the criminals, the law enforcement community needs to have the necessary resources, knowledge and well-developed partnerships with all stakeholders,” he concluded.

Delegates were also updated on an innovative new tool to enhance the fight against corruption: the INTERPOL Secure E-mail Capability – Asset Recovery (SECOM). For the first time within the anti-corruption community, SECOM will enable the instant and secure exchange of information and technical knowledge on corruption and related asset recovery.

In the field of asset recovery, INTERPOL works closely with the Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative, run jointly by the World Bank and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The objectives of the INTERPOL-StAR partnership for the coming years in international asset recovery will be examined during the meeting.

Head of INTERPOL’s Anti-Corruption unit, Jaganathan Saravanasamy acknowledged “the prominent role played by the EFCC in the fight against corruption.”

“Corruption is a universal phenomenon; no country, no society is immune to it. The challenges to tackling corruption are immense and investigations into cases of corruption are often complex, therefore it is critical that law enforcement worldwide is equipped with the knowledge and skills to bring an end to this harmful crime,” said Mr Saravanasamy

INTERPOL’s Global Focal Point Platform connects registered anti-corruption practitioners worldwide and provides them access to a range of investigative tools and services, including contact details of their counterparts around the globe, legislative and judicial frameworks concerning asset recovery, all valid INTERPOL notices issued for corruption-related cases, and an ‘initial action checklist’ to assist with the first stages of an investigation. Some 170 national investigators and prosecutors from nearly 100 countries have been nominated as Focal Points

  

POSTED BY KIGGUNDU HENRY, THE DIRECTOR, LEGAL LINK INTERNATIONAL