Agent holds MP’s academic papers hostage, demands Shs209m

Police in Ntungamo are holding a former political agent of the Ntungamo Woman MP Joseline Kamateneti Bata after he allegedly held her academic papers and other documents hostage demanding Shs209 million, which he claims she owes him.
Other documents include the marriage certificate, national identification card, two passports, and land title among others.
Ashraf Rweyeshera a political agent, claims he spent Shs209 million on the MP’s campaign both during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries last year and later during the general election early this year.
Ntungamo District Police Commander, Mr Geofrey Orochi, confirmed the arrest of Rweyeshera but said he could not divulge more details since investigations into the case had commenced.
Ms Kamateneti, however, claims to have lost the documents after she was nominated for the 2020 NRM primaries at the party headquarters and reported the case to Ntungamo Police.
“When I went for NRM primaries for nominations, I had taken photocopies but they demanded that I present the original copies. My names were also mismatching and I had to bring my marriage certificate to show why I was using the name Bata, who is my husband. One of my agents took the original documents and the envelope remained in the car. We later learnt the documents were missing but I could not suspect him among all the people,” she says.
Ms Kamateneti said she later realised her documents were missing when Rweyeshera started blackmailing her demanding for money.
“Imagine he went to my mother and told her that he would do something bad to me if I don’t give him the money. This is the only time I suspected he could be having my documents. I started engaging several people to investigate the issue. It’s unfortunate he is demanding the money yet when I got my first salary, I sent him Shs10m as appreciation like my other agents,” Ms Kamateneti says.
“I was in charge of her everything including security of her campaign. She gave me the documents to keep because she did not trust anyone at her home. I am surprised that she is accusing me of stealing her documents even after failing to pay me. She is just a traitor and she knows it deep down her heart,” Rweyeshera told this reporter at Ntungamo Police Station.
He said he used his car, a Toyota V8 to Transport her through the two years of campaign, provided her with security, and paid her agents, fuel and at times accommodation.
“Most of the money was sent to her using Mobile money services,” he added.
A senior police officer who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity said most of the documents were recovered by police from Rweyeshera’s home following a search on Wednesday afternoon.
Ms Kamateneti, a first timer in Parliament first contested for Ntungamo Woman MP in 2016 but lost to Ms Beatrice Rwakimari who she later defeated in the 2020 NRM primaries.