Mawanda blames Foreign Affairs for misleading Ugandans about India 'arrest'

 

An oil rig in Bullisa. About 60 per cent of the oil-rich Albertine graben is unlicensed. PHOTO BY ISAAC IMAKA. 

 

By Nelson Wesonga & Isaac Imaka

Parliament: Igara East Member of Parliament, Michael Mawanda, who has just returned from India where he was being ‘held on extortion’ claims, has accused the Foreign Affairs ministry of propagating misleading information about his tribulations.

As a result, he added, he and two other Ugandans were portrayed as criminals.

“The ministry officials continued making unresearched comments, giving misleading and unconfirmed facts about our case. None of these fellows ever made any contact to find out the true side of the story,” said Mr Mawanda at Parliament on Thursday.

“One junior minister from the Foreign Affairs ministry is quoted in some circles of the government to have said that Mawanda and Musumba had disgraced themselves, their country and, let them sort their problems like…Dominique…” added Mawanda.

He urged the government should help the Ugandans who are abroad with consular advice on where to find a good lawyer because such Ugandans are more vulnerable in unfamiliar territory.

Former State Minister for Regional Cooperation Isaac Musumba, Mawanda and businessman Mathias Magoola were in April accused of trying to extort $37 million (Shs94 billion) from the directors of Videocon, an Indian company.

India’s Supreme Court on June 19 dismissed a case of extortion and criminal trespass brought against them.

Mr Mawanda also denied claims that Indian police arrested the three.

He said it is instead them who took the Indian police to court to clear their names and integrity.

Mr Mawanda said they are suing their tormentors for $10 million in damages.

In 2008, Mr Magoola and Videocon reportedly formed a joint venture through which the assets of the


Ugandan businessman were transferred to a new company.

The venture however failed to take off, prompting the Ugandan businessman to ask for the return of his assets.

Videocon's officials reportedly turned down his request.

Because of that, the Ugandan petitioned a Ugandan court, and it was on that basis that the Musumbas travelled to India to follow up on the issue.

When they arrived there, the Indian businessmen made the claims against the trio, which prompted Indian police to confiscate Musumba, Magoola, and Mawanda's passports.