KAMPALA: Moses Bigirwa, the National Mobilization Secretary for the National Unity Platform’s Eastern Uganda in-charge, has been charged with attempting to extort Shs100 million from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
On Thursday, November 11, 2021, Bigirwa appeared at Buganda road court with journalist Pidson Kakaire.
Before being remanded, they were charged with offensive communication, libel, and fraud.
On November 7, 2021, the duo was apprehended outside the Deputy Speaker’s Nakasero home, where he had been enticed to go and get the money he had requested in exchange for ending hostilities against Among, whom he had accused of corruption and misuse of position.
Allegations
Bigirwa and others are accused of using electronic communication on WhatsApp to publish offensive content in November in Kampala, according to court.
According to the reports, Bigirwa is the author of a dossier titled “Museveni to oust Deputy Speaker over corruption.”
In the dossier, Anita Among, who is also the woman MP for Bukedea, is accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from various people before taking office.
According to one of the allegations, Anita Among, illegally obtained a house in Nakasero from businessman Karim Hirji and refused to pay.
Anita Among allegedly requested Shs.1 billion from businessman Sudhir Ruparelia after taking over the Deputy Speaker’s office, or she would terminate the lucrative contract agreed by Former Speaker Rebecca Kadaga for the provision of office space for MPs on Kingdom House.
The dossier adds, “Sudhir surrendered by parting with only Shs.100 million.”
The allegations, however, have been dismissed by the Deputy Speaker and a number of MPs.
“It’s easy to damage others’ reputations, but it’s much more difficult to establish our own.” The Deputy Speaker of Parliament is the fifth highest ranking official in the government and must be handled with deference,” Tayebwa said.