India refuses to release Ugandan officials

By Isaac Imaka.

The India government has continued to keep two Ugandan officials under hotel arrest despite attempts by the Kampala government to have them set free.

Former Regional Cooperation minister Isaac Musumba and Igara East MP Michael Mawanda were at the weekend arrested in India for allegedly attempting to extort $20 million (Shs50 billion) from four directors of Videocon, an India-based electronics company.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, junior Foreign Affairs minister Okello Oryem told MPs that the government of India refused to release the two officials unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proves the authenticity of their diplomatic passports.

According to Mr Oryem, the Uganda government had asked that the officials arrested in India be extradited and be investigated from Uganda since they have diplomatic immunity.

“Mr Musumba and his colleague were yesterday restrained from leaving India until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here confirms that he still holds a diplomatic pass port,” Mr Oryem said.

In protocol, a minister is only allowed to use a diplomatic passport only while still in office and MPs only use official passports that are green in colour. Mbale Municipality MP Jack Wamai, himself a seasoned diplomat, condemned the government for allowing Mr Musumba to continue using the diplomatic passport yet he is no longer a minister.

However, Mr Oryem said the former minister was allowed to stay with the diplomatic passport because he was seconded by government to represent the country as the deputy Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, an international body for Muslims. He was, however, tight-lipped on why an MP has a diplomatic passport.

If the two passports are approved to be authentic by the internal affairs ministry, the two stand a high chance of being allowed to come and be investigated from back home. Mr Musumba has since denied ever being arrested and claims to be free in his hotel in India and that he went to India in his individual capacity.

Government has however expressed ignorance over what the two politicians had gone to do in India. “Immediately when Mr Musumba comes back in the country will be able explain to Ugandans why they had gone to India,” Mr Oryem said.

Source: Daily Monitor (24/04/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/India-refuses-to-release-Ugandan-officials/-/688334/1756558/-/o3vh9r/-/index.html