By Odwori Brian and Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Democratic Party (DP) has ardently condemned president Museveni’s move to pardon former Permanent Secretary to Public Service ministry, Jimmy Lwamafa arguing that it was not done for good and sufficient reasons.
Uganda Prisons Services spokesperson, Frank Mayanja Baine yesterday said that President Museveni pardoned 200 inmates among them Lwamafa who was forgiven on account of ill health due to old age.
Lwamafa has been facing a 22yrs jail after he was convicted together with three others Kiwanuka Konsa – former head of research and development partners, Christopher Obedi former Chief Accountant for the ministry and lawyer Bob Kasango on counts of theft of $25 million in a pension ghost scam. Kasango died in Luzira prison in February 2021.
Speaking to journalists at the Democratic Party Offices at City House Kampala, Ismail Kirya the President Young Democrats said that for President Museveni to pardon someone who has embezzled such a huge amount of public funds is not in a good faith.
“Forgiving is not bad but such cases shouldn’t be pardoned because the country made a loses. Let people who can are convicted on counts of bribery and misuse of public office serve their sentence and finish it,” Kiirya said.
Kiirya says pardoning of corruption convicts gives a leeway to people in the civil service to continue embezzling public funds because nothing can be done against them. He challenged the president to also consider pardoning hundreds of thousand Ugandans rotting in prisons on the lighter sentences more especially the political prisoners who are convicted without trial.
“Many people were arrested during the 2021 general elections, others the 2009 Kabaka’s Kayunga saga but why can’t he pardon them? ” Kiirya challenged.
The Democratic party believes that such acts will further encourage government officials to take bribes since the president can pardon them even after being sentenced.
Constitutionally, the president through the powers given to him by the constitution in article 121 (1) (a) as amended and basing on the advice of the Advisory committee on the prerogative of mercy has the authority to pardon anyone of all the cases he or she has been serving.
