By Sania Babirye
The newly appointed State House Anti-corruption unit together with its head Lt. Col Edith Nakalema have been dragged to High court-civil division for usurping the powers of the Inspector General of Government.
The unit has been dragged to court by the recent arrested five senior Mbarara district officials led by one of the suspects who has been arrested by the unit Felix Cuthbert Esoku the Chief Administrative Officer of Mbarara district.
Esoku is currently being tried by the anti-Corruption on charges of unlawful allocation of Government land after Lt. Nakalema and the unit arrested him and three other district officials .
His other accomplices who are facing the same charges include the District Staff Surveyor Himbisa Emmanuel, Nayebare Godlive a Senior Land Management Officer and the Human Resource Officer Karuhanga Rosalia
These are accusing Lt .Nakalema's committee of over stepping its mandate which is merely receiving corruption related complaints and forwarding them to the concerned organs such as the IGG that is vested with powers to handle corruption related cases .
The plaintiffs are further challenging that the actions of the Anti-corruption unit and Lt . Nakalema of taking on corruption cases which are already a subject of investigation by the IGG and ordering police to arrest and detain suspects for more than the mandatory 48hrs without producing them in court for formal charging.
They further claim that their actions are in breaches of the rules of natural justice as the Unit conducts investigations , carries out arrests , prosecutes suspects and becomes judges in their own case.
These are now seeking court to order
Lt.Nakalema to compensate them each with 300 million Uganda shillings for violating their alleged rights since col.Nakalema allegedly had no authority to storm their offices and arrest them or later causing their charging before the Anti- corruption court .
These were arrested on the 22nd of February 2019 and charged on the 28th.
The however, claim that they are illegally being charged because as public servants they are not accountable to the State House Anti-corruption unit.
The case will be heard this Wednesday by High court Justice Musa Sekaana.