A junior minister for labour, employment and industrial relations, in Uganda, has been arrested in Kampala Serena Hotel shortly after taking a bribe of 5 million shillings ($1,385).
Ugandan minister, Herbert Kabafunzaki with the bribe taken. (Photo: Daily Monitor)
A Ugandan minister, who is also a member of parliament, has been arrested for taking a bribe from the owner of the Hilton Hotel after promising he would in return help him deal with sexual harassment accusations from one of his workers.
Emilian Kayima, police spokesman, said junior minister for labour, employment and industrial relations, Herbert Kabafunzaki, was arrested in Kampala Serena Hotel shortly after taking a bribe of 5 million shillings ($1,385). His bodyguard and one other person were also arrested.
The amount was part payment of total of 10 million shillings that he had demanded from Mohammed Hamid, the hotel owner who a female worker accused of harassing her for s*x.
“He had promised to help him (hotel owner) sort out that issue,” Kayima said.
“He was arrested shortly after he had received the first instalment of 5 million shillings.”
According to Uganda Sunday Monitor, Hamid is the boss at Aya Group, the proprietors of the Hilton Hotel in Kampala. One of his former employees alleges that he sexually harassed and molested her before she was summarily sacked last year, prompting her to take up the matter with the police.
Taking bribes and embezzlement of public funds is rampant in the east African country but arrest of ministers and other top government officials accused of graft is rare.
Government critics often blame graft on long ruling President Yoweri Museveni who they say is reluctant to punish corrupt but loyal supporters.
Museveni, 72, has been in power since 1986.
Business people routinely complain of being asked by government officials to pay bribes before receiving services and the critics say the vice undermines the flow of investment and stifles entrepreneurship.
And as the Monitor reported, President Museveni authorized the sting operation against Kabafunkazi to warn other ministers that the war against corruption is not a mere lip service.
-NAN