Hon. Herbert Kabafunzaki, the MP Rukiga county and State Minister of Gender, Labour and Industrial Affairs has this afternoon been charged with one count of corruption before the Anti-corruption Court in Kololo.
Kabafunzaki was arrested on Saturday April 8th at Serena hotel alongside two other men for soliciting a bribe of up to 30 Million shillings from Hamid Aya, the proprietor of Aya companies.
The minister was at the time investigating a sexual assault case against the investor. Kabafunzaki would later allegedly ask Mr. Hamid for a 30 million Shillings bribe to frustrate police investigations.
However, the investor called the president who advised him to carry on with the transaction after setting the minister up. Hamid allegedly told the minister he could only afford 5,000,000 shillings, which Kabafunzaki agreed to pick at Serena on Saturday afternoon.
The minister was arrested and has since been in custody at Nalufenya police, until this afternoon when he is appearing before the Anti-corruption court.
Meanwhile, Brian Mugabo his personal assistant, with whom the minister was arrested, has pleaded guilty to bribery before Chief Magistrate Agnes Alum of the Anti corruption court. Mugabo even disowned his lawyer before the chief magistrate, clkaiming he doesn’t need one since he is guilty.
The Minister on the other hand denied the charges claiming it was set up by the FDC party and enemies from his constituency. Kabafunzaki says his aide was paid money by his enemies.
He adds that while at Nalufenya, the minister found criminals who confessed that they had been following him for three months trying to assassinate him, and that these are willing to testify.
“I thank God that they remanded me in jinja police station, because I found there criminals who told me they have been following me for three months to shoot me and they are ready to testify” Kabafunzaki told the press after his court appearance.
He was remanded back to jinja, Nalufenya until tomorrow when he returns to court for hearing of his bail application.
