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Nakifuma MP Robert Kafeero Ssekitoleko has accused Kilak MP Anthony Akol of defaming him in the bribery allegations he made recently, and has threatened to sue.
Akol reportedly stated that last month 24 MPs from NRM and three from the opposition were invited to Jinja where each was given sh 1 million and a 50kg bag of sugar to support Ssekitoleko private member’s bill on constitutional amendments.
Addressing a press conference at parliament on Thursday, Ssekitoleko demanded an “apology within 48 hours ” from Akol for comments he made during a news conference at parliament and on the Morning Breeze show on NBS.
Akol reportedly said that on Tuesday, August 23 2016 they we were invited to Crane Hotel Jinja and were taken to Mayuga factory where they were given the money and the sugar.
Ssekitoleko’s motion seeks to increase the retirement age for judges and open the currently restricted two terms for the Electoral Commission. Leave to present the motion was granted to Ssekitoleko in the same week that the sugar and money were allegedly given out.
However, Ssekitoleko said that he spent the day mentioned at parliament and his movements in the corridors of parliament were captured by security cameras.
“By 9.00am I was in my office on the sixth floor north wing room 18 and from there I went to the Deputy Speaker’s office on fifth floor and there after kept moving to the offices of Director Legal and Legislative Services of Parliament and clerk to parliament at South Wing. I was consulting and seeking space on the order paper,” said Ssekitoleko .
He further stated that he has never met Akol and he only saw him on television. Ssekitoleko said the allegations of bribery propagated by the Forum for Democratic Change(FDC) member “are fabricated, baseless and totally unfounded.”
“The allegations are intended not only to intimidate and scare me but also divert and possibly deter me from pursuing the tabling of my a well intended bill,” he said.
