The Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana has recommended State Minister for Privatization and Investment, Evelyn Anite to go for a mental health checkup.
This stems from Anite’s public outburst indicating that mafia is after her life for demanding an audit into Uganda Telecom Limited-UTL.
Although Anite didn’t mention names, Rukutana has come out to dismiss Anite’s claims, saying she should check herself into Butabika.
Rukutana says that ever since Anite refused to heed legal guidance discouraging her from demanding an audit as a shareholder in UTL, she has been acting like a “wounded buffalo”.
He, however, insists that Anite should carry out her duties in compliance with the law.
On Monday, Anite told journalists that a mafia wants to kill her because of the audit into activities of UTL that was placed under receivership in 2017.
Anite has been feuding with the UTL Administrator, Bemanya Twebaze, the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakinizi and the Deputy Attorney General, Mwesigwa Rukutana over the UTL audit.
The disagreement on whether or not to audit UTL lasted two months, until one of the Creditors, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation-UBC, applied to the High Court for an audit.
The application was granted and the court instructed that the audit should be done within 30 days.
The audit is ongoing. However, the court order may not have resolved the rift if Anite’s recent outburst is to go by.
Rukutana says that if Anite is referring to the government officials, including himself as deputy Attorney General, Minister for Justice Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, the Permanent Secretary/ Secretary to the Treasury- Keith Muhakinizi, who advised her against asking for an audit directly but rather through creditors, then she is mistaken.
Rukutana says that cabinet has generally ignored the issue because Anite’s has been treated as a non-starter and therefore, “the crisis is in her head.”
Some members of the West Nile Parliamentary Group have warned against taking Anite’s claims lightly, saying the government must guarantee her security. The Group comprises MPs from 11 districts including Koboko that is represented by Anite.
The group led by their Chairperson, Lawrence Songa Biyika, the Maracha Woman MP, Rose Ayaka and Aringa South MP, Alioni Yorke Odria want the government to take Anite’s allegations seriously, saying the former Arua Municipality MP, Ibrahim Abiriga made similar claims before he was gunned down in 2018.
