UGANDA 13/11/2003 14:39
The government of Kampala has called for General Salim Saleh, brother of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, to stand trial for his involvement in the acquisition of two helicopters from Byelorussia. Ruth Nankabirwa, a top official of the defence ministry, referred the news to Reuters. Saleh's name appeared among those of other bureaucrats and officials involved in a deal that in 1997 marked a loss of $7-million in State funds. The crafts acquired by the Ugandan armed forces from the former Soviet nation through a local mediator, ended up being defective and were not utilised by the military, at the time engaged in the first phase of the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to Nankabirwa, the government has now sent recommendations to the attorney general to take measures against a series of people, including Kizza Besigye, 1991 presidential candidate against Musuveni, currently living in exile. General Saleh, whose real name is Kaleb Akandwanaho, is among the wealthiest businessmen of East Africa, with direct interests in the mineral, banking, building and security sector, as well as local air companies. In 1998, after a not very transparent acquisition of 49% of the Ugandan Commercial Bank, he was forced to resign from his post as military security adviser of Museveni. He was however then immediately named head of the army reserves. Armed Forces spokesman Shaban Bantariza stated that Saleh could face disciplinary action for the action and be called before martial court. If convicted he would be removed, demoted or suspended. Based on the last Transparency International report, Uganda is one of the most corrupt nations of the world. Many independent observers repeatedly accused also the Head of State of administering the State budget in favour of a restricted circle of friends and family.
[BO
"And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, 'When will you be satisfied?' We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities (.) No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream". (Martin Luther King, 1964 Nobel Peace prize laureate, assassinated for his struggle)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
