Members of the Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda (HRNJ-U) have called upon State House to investigate allegations that part of the Shs. 20million presidential pledge that was meant to cater for the former WBS Journalist Andrew Lwanga was swindled by one of their officers.
HRNJ National Coordinator, Robert Ssempala told Journalists on Tuesday that they are currently pushing for an investigation after it was revealed in Court last week that Lwanga didn’t receive the full amount as pledged by the president.
In February last year, the President directed State House to release Shs. 20million to help with Lwanga’s operation in South Africa. This was after the president learnt that despite being battered by a senior police officer, the police force had not helped Lwanga with his medical bills.
“Joram’s lawyer claimed that Lwanga was given a sum of Sh20m from the president, but Andrew told Court that he didn’t receive the said amount,” Ssempala said.
“He received Sh7million less of the said amount and we are yet to find out who bagged that money, why and how; we are going to impress it upon State House to investigate this particular person to find out the whereabouts of that money which was meant to save a life of our colleague,” Ssempala noted.
Meanwhile, Lwanga also revealed that he didn’t receive Shs 5million that was promised from Uganda Police, but only got 1million.
“We are also going to impress it upon police to investigate its own–somebody could have stolen the money meant to save a life of a journalist. Lwanga still needs money; he has a treatment schedule in South Africa.”