Byandala arrested like chicken thief, says minister

Minister Abraham Byandala is checked by a police officer. File Photo

What you need to know:

Mr Byandala is held culpable for a letter he wrote directing UNRA to sign the Shs165 billion contract with Eutaw, a construction company which was later established to be a scam

KAMPALA.

Works and Transport minister John Byabagambi has condemned the manner in which his Cabinet colleague Mr Abraham Byandala, was arrested and subsequently remanded to Luzira prison.

Mr Byandala was arrested by the office of the Inspector General of Government in connection with last year’s botched Shs24b Mukono-Katosi road scandal and arraigned in the Anti- Corruption court on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference on the ongoing operation on weighbridges, Mr Byabagambi described the fate of Mr Byandala, the Minister without Portfolio, as an “occupational hazard” that did not warrant treating him like a “chicken thief.”

“l am not saying justice should not have taken course because there is a price to pay for every action but arresting a Cabinet minister, I think required a more civilised way,” Mr Byabagambi said of the man he once deputised.

He added that as ministers, they make decisions which they think are right but often times, these backfire or attract ridicule when things go wrong.

“The Inspectorate of Government or courts are all independent bodies and cannot be criticised for doing their work. But I think they should have first written to the appointing authority or the Speaker of Parliament with strong evidence against Byandala before pursuing him, ” he said.

Minister Byandala, alongside four former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) managers, were arrested and sent to jail until August 11 pending hearing of their bail application over the scam.

Mr Byandala is held culpable for a letter he wrote directing UNRA to sign the Shs165 billion contract with Eutaw, a construction company which was later established to be a scam.

Yesterday, Mr Byabagamabi said the ongoing operation on weighbridges manned by UNRA, Police and UPDF against overloaded trucks will go on until sanity is restored among drivers.

During the last 11 days of the operation, they have impounded 619 trucks and collected Shs83 million in fines, which he said is a new chapter in the war against corruption on weigh bridges.

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