Minister Herbert Kabafunzaki’s aide and Brian Mugabo, 21, today caused a chilling silence in court as he confessed that he was an accessory and received a Shs. 5million bribe on behalf of the minister.
In his confessional statement presented to court by State Attorney Barbra Kauma, Mugabo narrated the whole scenario from the beginning until they were arrested at Serena Hotel last week.
He stated that on 8th April at 1pm, he was sent by the Minister to pick his daughter from Ntinda which he failed to locate. He was later told that the minister would pick the girl himself.
He says he later joined the Minister and the driver at Fairway Hotel where a one Bruce met them and handed a file to Kabafunzaki telling him that all the information he had been looking for was in there.
From here he says the minister with his children went to town while Mugabo went to Nkrumah Road Police station to process a passport of his relative.
Along Nasser road he says he received constant calls from one Said Muhamad of Aya, telling him that it was getting late for his meeting scheduled to take place at Serena Hotel with the minister.
“After finalizing my work, I went to Serena and as soon as I reached, Muhamad called asking for directions. I got him into the room and the minister arrived. I was told to sit on a distant table together with the minister’s daughter,” he said.
Later on he says the minister called him to pick a khaki envelope that contained money from the washrooms.
On return he says Muhamad was gone and the minister was surrounded by two men who identified themselves as policemen.
“On noticing the men, I took away the envelope and hid it in the corridor. The officers however, searched and found it behind the curtain and brought it to the table; opened it and counted the money. A search certificate was prepared and signed by myself, Serena staff and police officers”
After the confession, State prosecutor Babrah Kauma asked the magistrate to remand Mugabo in a separate facility for safety of his life until tomorrow.
Chief magistrate Alum adjourned the sentencing of the convict to tomorrow as well as ruling on bail application made by Hon Kabafunzaki.