Military police raid Gen. Tinyefuza’s office
Pedestrians walk past anti-riot police vehicles parked at Kibuye roundabout as Gen. Sejusa was expected to return from abroad. PHOTO BY F. KASIRYE.
What you need to know:
Expected. By press time, Gen. Sejusa was yet to arrive at Entebbe airport, which was under surveillance.
A team of security officials from the military and regular police on Friday night raided the office of the coordinator of intelligence agencies, Gen. David Sejusa, formerly known as Tinyefunza. The office is located in Naguru, a Kampala suburb.
Reliable sources, who were part of the operation, told this newspaper that the officers took with them files, computers, food and other materials to a secret place for further investigations.
The army yesterday confirmed the raid, saying an official investigation has been instituted into the allegations made by Gen. Sejusa. “Following the statement in Parliament by the Defence minister, we have moved into a stage of investigation. We are investigating the issues that he raised in his letter,” the Army spokesperson, Lt Col. Paddy Ankunda, said, adding: “We needed useful information from his office. The team got documents and computer from his office.”
Journalists were, however, barred from entering the premises by security officers manning the gate. By press time, three patrol trucks and two navy blue Toyota Corolla cars were still parked at the gate to the building.
Meanwhile, security was further beefed up along the 40km stretch from Kampala to Entebbe International Airport as Gen. Sejusa was expected to arrive in the country through Entebbe on Saturday morning.
Three check points had been set up, first at Kitubulu (a 20-minute drive to the airport) manned by both the Police and Army. The second check point was set up at the junction to the old airport, manned by Special Forces Command while the third was shifted 500metres from the road toll at the airport entrance where it had been by Friday night to the headquarters of Civil Aviation Authority.
Visitors to the airport were thoroughly checked while journalists were denied entrance to the airport. However conflicting information continued to trickle in on whether Gen. Sejusa would return to the country.
While some sources had indicated that he would arrive on Friday night or Saturday morning, others claimed that the General had indefinitely postponed his plans to return to the country for fear of possible arrest.
Defence Minister Crispus Kiyonga told legislators on Wednesday that matters regarding disciplinary action against Gen. Sejusa remained in the hands of President Yoweri Museveni, also commander-in-chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). He also told Parliament that there are no plans to have President Museveni’s son, Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, replace him as leader of the country.
Gen. Sejusa, in a letter to the director general of the Internal Security Organisation, asked that claims that top officials, including the chief of police, may have plotted to either assassinate or frame colleagues, be investigated.
A member of the inner circle of bush war comrades who fought alongside President Museveni between 1981-85, Gen.Sejusa warned that “these are very serious allegations with potential to destabilise the country”.
The General also asked that the inquiry establishes if the plans to eliminate top officers, including himself and Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, have anything to do with their perceived opposition to the so-called “Muhoozi Project”.
======================================================
Gen. Tinyefuza’s 1997 resignation letter
Your Excellency,
With great difficulty, I have decided to resign as a Member of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and also resign from the UPDF. There are several reasons but most important among those is that I feel I am unjustly being harassed over my testimony before that Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs.
To require me to appear before the High Command so that Action is taken against me is rather too high handed.
I will state my reasons briefly:-
Article 90(1) of the Uganda Constitution 1995, states among other things that ‘Parliament shall appoint standing committees and other committees necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions.’
Then Article 90(A) says ‘In the exercise of their functions under this Article, committees of Parliament 90(4) may call any Minister or any person holding public office and private individuals to submit memoranda or appear before them to give evidence.’
Article 90(4) (c) “shall have powers of the High Court for (i) Enforcing the attendance of witnesses and examining them on Oath Affirmation or otherwise, (ii) Compelling the production of Documents and (iii) issuing a commission or request to examine witnesses abroad.”
As can be seen from the above, I did appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs under Article 90(4) (c). Its terms of reference were set by Parliament.
These include among others -
(a) Give evidence as to the causes of Kony War;
(b) Why it has taken Government so long to end that war;
(c) The effects of that war on the Country;
(d) How that war can be ended.
It is in light of the foregoing that I appeared before the Committee and gave testimony. In so doing I may have displeased a few people but when giving Evidence under Oath you do not do so to please people but to tell the truth, something I did very well in my view as a matter of fact.
There are many things which remained unsaid, which in my view I thought were not good for National Security and in any case which may not have had serious bearing on the subject matter before the Committee.
This goes to prove that whatever was said was in good faith and to try to help this Country end the prevailing wars all round. I wish to state that:-
(a) I did not request nor volunteer to appear before this Committee.
(b) Was summoned by it.
(c) The Summons were served on the Army Commander who only informed me. The terms of Reference which allow the press a free access were not set by me.
(d) In my view, a Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs has a right to know matters concerning the Army and war. After all that is why it was set up. Article 42 of our Constitution requires that any person appearing before any administrative official or body has a right to be treated justly and fairly and shall have a right to apply to a Court of law in respect of any Administrative decision taken against him or her.
I am of the strong view that I will not have that Constitutional right before the UPDF High Command for obvious reasons. It is therefore, because of the above that I must resign from the Army and subsequently its High Command.
I find it unjustified to continue serving in an institution whose bodies I have no faith in or whose views I do not subscribe to.
I must say sir, that it was a privilege and an honour to serve the National Resistance Army and the UPDF and more particularly to serve under you.
As one said, I owe much to your wise guidance and kindly forbearance. I know my own faults very well and I do not suppose I am an easy subordinate; I like to go my own way. But you have kept me on the rails in difficult and stormy times, and have taught me much. For all this, I am grateful. And I thank you for all you have done for me.
Needless to say, it has been a great honour to have been a Member of this Historic Army and Mission.” We have achieved much in war; may we achieve even more in peace.
Your Very Devoted Comrade,
—————————————–
DAVID-TINYEFUZA-MUWUNGU-BWAJOJO
