Kampala — THE sports state minister Charles Bakkabulindi has started his own investigation into the wrangles threatening to tear up the Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation (UABF).

As a first step Bakkabulindi has ordered the National Council of Sports to pass on to him all the relevant documents including a copy of the UABF constitution for perusal.

Last week the minister met 14 members of the disgruntled boxing clubs who want the current UABF president Roger Ddungu to resign.

The clubs last month petitioned NCS arguing that Ddungu manipulated the constitution to push the executive committee's term of office to four years from two and hiked the affiliation fees from sh20,000 to sh0.5m per club.

After listening to the breakaway clubs led by former professional boxer Godfrey Nyakana in a meeting in Kampala, Bakkabulindi said he also wanted to listen to Ddungu and NCS officials.

"I have learnt that the chairman of the normalisation committee which drafted the UABF constitution (Dr Ntege Ssengendo) is now vice president in UABF," Bakkabulindi said yesterday.

After winning the elections in 2006, Ddungu appointed ex-members of the normalisation committee Ssengendo (chairman), David Kyambadde (secretary) and Lt. Stephen Musisi on to his executive.

"If I find there was manyanga (manipulation), I will deal with them accordingly. We want sanity in boxing," the minister warned.

NCS general secretary Jasper Aligawesa confirmed that he had forwarded all the necessary documents to the minister but the committee hearing the clubs' petition will continue with its job.

NCS is also currently hearing a petition filed by the Nyakana group.

Nyakana is also Kampala Central Division chairman.