Minister Kabafunzaki released on bail

Junior minister for Labour Herbert Kabafunzaki was has been released on a cash bail of Shs 5 million.
However, Mr Kabafunzaki who returned to court on Wednesday was ordered to hand over his diplomatic passport and land title to court as one of his bail conditions.
Mr Kabafunzaki was arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court yesterday and formally charged with soliciting and receiving a Shs5 million bribe from Aya Group chairman Mohammad Hamid.

After the minister’s maiden court session, he was sent on remand at Luzira prison from where he was returned today to receive a ruling on whether he is released on bail or not.
He was charged with two counts of corruption contrary to Section 2(a) and Section 26 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009, and one count of conspiracy contrary to Section 390 of the Penal Code Act.
The minister, who is also the Rukiga County MP, was charged alongside two others; Mr Brian Mugabo, 21, his political assistant and Mr Bruce Lubowa, 42, an interior designer in Wakiso District.

The charges
According to the charge sheet, under count one, prosecution alleges that on April 8 at Kampala Serena Hotel, while in performance of his duties as the minister, Mr Kabafunzaki directly solicited for himself Shs15 million as a gratification from Mr Hamid in exchange for clearing his name from allegations of sexual harassment filed by a former employee.
In court count two, the State alleges that on the same day, the minister directly accepted Shs5 million as a gratification from Mr Hamid in exchange for cleaning his name.
In the third count of conspiracy to commit a felony, the State said between April 6 and April 8, the minister conspired with Mr Lubowa to solicit a gratification of Shs15 million from Mr Hamid for purposes of clearing his name.