Uganda: Nandala Asked Me to Hide the Shs300m Dirty Money So Ura Could Not Tax It, Says Besigye

8 August 2023

Forum for Democratic Change founding leader, Dr.Kizza Besigye has accused current party Secretary General, Nandala Mafabi of telling lies in regards the shs300 million that he(Nandala) claimed was for polling agents during the 2021 general elections.

"Hon Nathan Nandala Mafabi told a lie when he said that he had given me Shs300 million for polling agents. He told me the money was his and he wanted to hide it from URA since he had debts with them, and that they (URA) would confiscate it," Besigye told journalists on Monday.

The four-time presidential candidate was responding to the report by the FDC Elders Committee report in which Nandala Mafabi said he had given Besigye shs300 million for polling agents.

In his testimony to the committee tasked to iron differences within the once strongest opposition political party in the country, Mafabi insisted that he embarked on a mobilization drive that enabled him get some money for the party's activities.

"Specifically, on the issue of "dirty money" he contended that he had mobilized some money for agents but that URA had always garnished his accounts during the period for elections, so he requested Dr. Besigye to keep for him shs 300 million which the latter willingly accepted. He showed the Committee evidence of the bank statement indicating the money that he withdrew from his account in Stanbic Kyambogo bank which was to a tune of shs 500 million," the committee wrote in its report.

Infuriated with what he termed as lies, Besigye got emotional as he talked about the "dirty money" insisting that whereas he received the shs300 million from Nandala, he was told it was for hiding away from URA and not for polling agents as alleged.

"The money arrived at about 10pm and he rang me saying "the other thing I talked about is about to arrive" and I said but Nathan, where is it passing this is curfew time and people not allowed to move. Those allowed to move would risk carrying such money. He said don't worry and before long somebody was hooting at my gate with the money," Besigye said.

The former FDC president however blasted the elders committee for its recommendations that he said have rendered the party dysfunctional.

"Neither in their findings or recommendations did they seek to deal with the dirty money save for recording what each one told them and recording it in a biased way."

He asked members to fulfill their duty to liberate their own party.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.