They say you can run but not hide. This will today Wednesday 20th February become applicable to the circumstances facing Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana who will be facing Justice Catherine Bamugemereire’s tough questioning he run away from two weeks ago. Rukutana, who reportedly differed with Solicitor General Francis Atooke on the matter, will be tasked to explain why he wrote letters directing payment of more than Shs2.4bn to Dr. Mohammed Kasasa for the land government never got possession of. Kasasa says he sold 12 acres of land on Mutungo hill to the state after it was declared suitable for compulsory acquisition by government to construct ESO headquarters. The land in question is part of the 630 acres in Mutungo which Sir Edward Mutesa’s family caveated long time ago challenging the authenticity of Kasasa’s title which the late Kabaka’s children (led by David Wassajja) say is fake. Bamugemereire and other Commissioners are appalled that Rukutana wrote such letters well aware the land was under caveats the Wassajjas had put on it subject to a court case to which the AG is a party besides Dr. Kasasa. There was also court orders staying any transactions on the same until caveats are vacated. The other cause of anger relates to the circumstances under which money continued to be paid out and eaten in Kasasa’s name for land government has never received to this day. Also very outrageous are the very oppressive commercial interest rate clause that was inserted in the sale agreement. It was set at 28% meaning every day government delayed to pay would attract interest in favor of Dr. Kasasa. That is how the figure has since grown to Shs26bn including the Shs8bn installment Rukutana recently directed the finance ministry to pay to Kasasa who says his name is merely being used as a proxy because he never gets to receive these monies. He was categorical last month telling the Commission “my Lord all these monies I just get on paper but nothing in real practice.” He explained how crooks from government ministries opened bank accounts in his name to which money is sent ostensibly as payment for Mutungo land and later on shared. He was reluctant to name the officials involved in this racket fearing to lose his life. He said these are very powerful cartels against which even government can’t protect him if they choose killing him anytime for exposing them. Bamugemereire says the Shs8bn is stuck somewhere and hasn’t been shared yet because of the red flag resulting from her ongoing inquiry proceedings but the sum was already appropriated and it’s available. The other area Rukutana is likely to sweat today answering questions about relates to why the Solicitor General was bypassed regarding the Mutungo transaction yet he is the principal advisor to government on matters of contracting.
FLED LAST TIME
The last time he appeared, Rukutana played smartly and only managed to postpone his plasma-sweating session. To the anger of the Commissioners, the man from Ntungamo said he was unprepared having received the summons late and begged for more two weeks offering to return today. Bamugemereire reluctantly granted his wish and its evident the accountability he tried to run away from is back to haunt the shrewd deputy AG. He said he needed time to assemble the relevant documents and study the entire transaction properly because there are many such letters he signs and couldn’t readily remember this particular one. Rukutana could also be asked to explain what he knows about Kasasa’s claims that money is released in his name but he never receives any. Commissioners will be holding him accountable for the fact that so much money has been lost trying to purchase land many already know government will never receive given the glaring defects on Kasasa’s certificate of title including the fact that it was issued in 1946 in names of a company (Lake View Properties) which was only incorporated in 1968. Kabaka’s brother Prince David Wassajja also hinted on the invisible role of lawyer Hussein Kashilingi in the whole Kasasa claim and the inquiry members could as well seek to know how much Rukutana knows about this. It’s really going to be a bad day for him because having been allowed the time extension he asked for, its very unlikely the Commissioners will be lenient to him at all save for his former boss Fred Ruhindi who might end up not asking any questions to avoid being misunderstood. He will also be asked about what he thinks about Auditor General John Muwanga’s report raising a red flag on the billions the Uganda Land Commission was continuing to be paid out to Kasasa as of 2016. It will be interesting to observe how Bamugemereire, who last time urged Rukutana to stop his “gymnastics,” will be handling him this time round should the deputy AG opt to do or say anything awkward this morning. Watch this space.
