Fort Portal, (UG): The High Court in Fort Portal City has committed to Katojjo government prison MP Gideon Thembo Mujungu of Busongora South Constituency in Kasese District over failure to settle a debt of Shs183 million.
The debt stems from costs awarded by the Court of Appeal to his predecessor, Mr Jackson Mbaju Kathika, on June 22, 2022, after he won the election petition in which challenged Mujungu’s victory in the 2021 elections.
Despite losing the case and going in for a fresh election, Mr Mujungu (NRM) won again in August last year and bounced back to parliament but filed to clear the court costs amounting to 183m.
The Deputy Registrar of Fort Portal, Mr Francis Dawa Matenga today (Tuesday) committed the legislator to the civil prison following an execution for a warrant of arrest issued by the same court in June this year and addressed to Mr Joneni Bamwenda, a court bailiff in Kasese town.
“This is to command you to arrest the said respondent (Thembo Gideon Mujungu) wherever he may be unless the said respondent pays you the sum of Shs183,618,000 together with costs for executing this process to bring the said judgment debtor before court,” the warrant of arrest issued on June 13 reads in part, which was successfully executed and the MP apprehended to serve his sentence.
Informed obtained by this publication suggested that Mujungu was arrested from his residence at Saluti B in Kanyangeya Ward, Nyamwamba Division in Kasese Municipality on Tuesday morning by the bailiffs acting on behalf of the court.
Speaking on behalf of the ruling NRM Party, the Publicity Secretary of the party in Kasese District, Mr Johnson Kamalha Kalyasa said they will offer all the necessary support to bail Mujungu out of prison.
“It is true that the MP has been arrested and subsequently committed to Katojjo [Prison] by Fort Portal High Court, although he still has some leniency time to mobilize money and pay before close of business today [Tuesday],” Kamalha revealed.
“Dr Chrispus Kiyonga [Kasese NRM Chairperson] is in touch to see how to help. If he fails to get the money today he will sleep in prison,” he added.
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