Principal Judge lashes out at MP Wekomba over Shs70m bribe

Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine. File photo

KAMPALA. Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine has lashed out at the newly elected Bulambuli District Woman MP Sarah Wekomba whom she blamed for accepting to be duped and fleeced of Shs70m by a con man who had reportedly promised to give it to the judge who was handling her election petition as a bribe.

Justice Bamwine in his statement, a copy of which was seen by Daily Monitor, states that no one wants to be duped but it was ‘unhonorable’ of Ms Wekomba to part with a bribe to allegedly influence the judge in the election petition.
“None of us likes being scammed and the Bulambuli Woman MP, Sarah Wekomba is no exception. But, it’s not the fact that a scammer tried to trick the MP into handing over money that bothers me – it’s the fact that she was willing to part with the money to bribe a judicial officer,” Justice Bamwine said.

Justice Bamwine continued: “the legislature must be seen to pursue judicial independence and when “honorable” MPs are involved in such scandals, it does nothing for Justice. Systemic petty corruption or bribery in the judicial system is a problem in Uganda and other developing countries as it creates an additional barrier for ordinary citizens to access the justice system.
Justice Bamwine who is the administrative head of the High Court and the lower courts, also in his statement, says that a corrupt free Judiciary calls for a concerted effort all stakeholders including the public and that the MP failed in this test.

“An effective, corrupt free judiciary in its truest form, requires not only the ability of the judicial officers to desist from taking bribes, but also from the public not to offer bribes. It was the duty of the Member of Parliament to promote fairness in the legal process and she failed in that duty,” Justice Bamwine cautions.
Adding: “I have not seen her party or anyone else for that matter; speak out against her dishonorable actions. Their silence on this issue, (other than their commiserations) is deafening.”
When contacted, MP Wekomba denied ever planning to bribe the judge in her election petition that was recently disposed-off.

“I have never offered a bribe to any judge. Actually I am also reading this in the media…” MP Wekomba said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.
MP Wekomba won the February 18 parliamentary for Bulambuli woman District elections on the Independent ticket by beating Energy minister Irene Muloni of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) to the same seat.
But the minister being dissatisfied with the out-come of the elections, petitioned Mbale High Court though in the last days of the hearing, she withdrew the petition.