By Sania Babirye
The suspended State Minister for labor Herbert Kabafunzaki has for the second time pleaded not guilty to corruption charges including receiving five million shillings from the Proprietor of Aya group of companies Mohammad Hamid.
Kabafuzanki and his political aid Mugabo Brian and a relative Lubowa Bruce charged with two counts of conspiring to solicit for a 15 million bribe to have his sexual harrasment case against his employee disappear.
He had appeared before the High court's Anti-corruption Division judge Margret Tibulya to plead afresh over the charges.
On the 28th of june Anti corruption court chief magistrate Agnes Alum committed Kabafuzanki to the high court after state prosecutor Barbara Kawuma informed court that the DPP had opted for the the three to be tried by a judge saying a judge was in better postion to try the case due due to the circumstances of how the case was committed and the people involved it.
The case has been adjourned to the 10th of August to allow state to re-organise themselves after they called off their strike yesterday .
Prosecution states that between the 6th and the 8th April 20217 at Serena Hotel in Kampala district, Kabafunzaki directly solicited and accepted a 5 million shillings Bribe from an Indian Investor Muhammed Muhammed Hamid, the chairman Aya group of companies as an inducument to clear him of sexual harassment allegations levied against him by his former employee.
Some of the evidence that the DPP intends to adduce before court include a CCTV footage from Serena hotel that shows the interaction where the minister received the alleged five million bribe in a khaki brown envelope from the Aya boss and later giving it to his political assistant for counting who later hid the money behind the curtains when police came to arrest them.