How detectives raided detained MPs’ homes

Detectives yesterday searched the homes of three lawmakers detained on Monday over an alleged budget corruption scandal involving Parliament and Finance ministry officials.

Cissy Namujju (Lwengo District Woman MP), Yousuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East), and Paul Akamba (Busiki County) were driven in different police vans from Kira Police Station, in Wakiso District, escorted by pick-ups to their homes.

Mr Mutembuli was driven to his home in Bukasa, Kira-Wakiso District; Ms Namujju to Kigo-Munyonyo on Entebbe Road; and Mr Akamba was driven to his home in Naalya, a Kampala suburb.

The search at Mr Mutembuli’s home lasted about three hours. From Kira Division Police, the motorcade moved to Bukasa Police Post, where officers secured a search warrant at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and later proceeded to Mr Mutembuli’s home, which is behind our Lady of Africa Primary School.

Upon reaching the premises, journalists were turned away after capturing entry into the gated house. Mr Mutembuli’s children and workers were also moved out of the premises. Only the search team and the lawmaker remained inside. Residents joined the journalists and lawmaker’s kin to watch from arm’s length as detectives went about their work.

On return to the police division, the Bunyole West lawmaker was allowed to change clothes. Speaking to Daily Monitor at the police station, the lawmaker’s relatives and lawyers accused police of high-handedness

“I am the lawyer of one of the suspects, but I can’t see them. The same law they are pretending to protect is the same law they are breaking,” a lawyer of one the lawmakers, who declined to be named, said.

Pleas from relatives to see the lawmakers fell on deaf ears. This did not stop Mr Mutembuli from radiating confidence exteriorly, even waving to reporters.

At Ms Namujju’s home, at least 10 officers from Counter Terrorism, and Forensics units of the Police were seen moving in and out of her gate. Whereas some officers were inside the house conducting the search, others camped outside and questioned anyone trying to access the residence.

Sources indicated that police arrived at Ms Namujju’s home at 11am and continued their search until late. By 5pm, when the reporters were asked to leave, the search was still ongoing. The detectives had searched the house for over six hours and reports indicated that the search continued until late.

“I do not know what time we are going to leave this place. We shall leave after turning everything upside down,” one of the security personnel, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said.

Details on what transpired at Mr Akamba’s home remained scanty. Despite being taken at the same time with Mr Mutembuli, he was returned to the police station at around 6pm.

Details around what detectives discovered remain undisclosed as Police spokesperson Fred Enanga was unreachable by press time.

Ms Jacqueline Okui, the spokesperson from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, yesterday indicated that they had not received the files of the suspects.

“We have not received any file about the case for review before the suspects are arraigned in court,” Ms Okui said.

Six police vans and pick-up trucks were paraded at Kira Divisional police at around 10am. Mr Mutembuli was the first to be brought out secretly in a small door of the police division located at its extreme end. He was placed in a white van organised to transport suspects and other officers from Counter Terrorism Police and detectives from CID used another black van. Police officers were loaded to the pick-up truck and he was whisked away.