Those who know Dr Charles Lagu, the former Executive Director of the Entebbe-based National Animal Genetics Resources Centre & Data Bank (NAGRC & DB), say he is an incorruptible and principled man who is driven by the desire to fulfill his mandate.
This is why therefore when he was arrested and detained over alleged corruption, many people were shocked since Dr Lagu had been at the forefront of the fight against graft.
More shocking was the disgraceful manner in which he was arrested.
His home was first surrounded by security personnel the whole night before he was later arrested.
This website has however established that his woes started after he forced some powerful people off government land.
Dr Lagu himself said moments after his arrest: “When you do a good job, you become a problem (to some people). We have dealt with encroachers, land grabbers and so many people. They could be behind all this”.
This website has now learnt that one of the planners of Dr Lagu’s arrest and eventual interdiction was Dr Anthony Ntaate who was interestingly appointed to replace Dr Lagu.
According to a letter written by a whistleblower to Dr Lagu, Dr Ntaate used his earlier position as Deputy production manager and chairperson contracts committee to entrench nepotism in NAGRC & DB.
According to the letter dated February 13 2020, the Whistleblower points the recruitment and outsourcing of two companies owned by Dr Ntaate’s blood brothers. The companies include Cardino Partners Consult Ltd and Balix Imports & Exports Ltd.
The whistleblower went ahead to give details of ownership and the nature of connivance that Dr Ntaate involved himself in with his relatives.
“The above two companies belong to the family of Joseph Balironda who is a blood brother to the chairperson contracts committee (Dr Ntaate),” says the whistleblower in his letter to Dr Lagu during his time as the ED, Nagrc & DB.
The whistleblower had also copied his letter to the board chairman of Nagrc & DB, noting that should nothing be done, he would go ahead and petition the IGG.
However, no sooner had Dr Lagu swung into action to call Dr Ntaate into order than his woes deepened as he was arrested and detained over trumped-up charges.
In fact, a section of MPs said Dr Lagu is being victimized by government officials who are interested in grabbing NAGRIC property.
MPs led by Ayivu County MP Benard Atiku questioned the manner in which Lagu was arrested and the failure by authorities to present him before court within the stipulated time.
Atiku says that Lagu’s arrest is a case of witch-hunt and backed with secret motives since he had already complained and reported to police about people harassing and seeking to extort money from him.
He noted that the Anti-Corruption Unit was being misused by complainants who also need to be investigated in order to dig out the truth about the operations of NAGRC.
In the meantime, the whistleblower would proceed to petition the IGG’s office after the arrest of Dr Lagu.
In the letter to the IGG, the whistleblower explained the systematic nepotism and corruption exhibited by Dr Ntaate before he connived with Lt Col Edith Nakalema to have Dr Lagu arrested, jailed and sacked.
“Recently, towards the end of April after the arrest of Dr Lagu by the office of Nakalema, he (Dr Ntaate) worked with a farmer called Eric Rutahigwa and they chased government livestock from their grazing land and to aid grabbing of government farms,” said the whistleblower.
It however remains to be seen whether justice will be realized or if it will be the mafia to emerge on top as Uganda continues to bleed at the hands of corrupt officials seeking to enrich themselves and their families at the expense of other Ugandans.