The former Minister for Labour, Herbert Kabafunzaki has been convicted of corruption by the Anti-corruption Court. He was asked to pay a Shs10million fine or serve 3 years in prison.
Kabafunzaki is accused of receiving a Shs5m bribe from Aya Group chairman Mohammed Hamid to clear his name of sexual harassment allegations that had been brought against him by a former female employee of Hilton Hotel in 2017.
He faces two counts of corruption contrary to section 2 (a) and 26 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 and one count of conspiracy contrary to section 390 of the penal code Act. The former minister, who was arrested on April 8, 2017, is jointly charged with two others, who include Brian Mugabo, his political assistant, and Bruce Lubowa, an interior designer in Wakiso District.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Margaret Tibulya, who has been hearing the case.
During the course of the trial, Kabafunzaki reportedly went missing. The presiding judge pushed his wife, Doreen Kabafunzaki, to produce him in court, saying she did not believe that she did not know the whereabouts of her husband.
Justice Tibulya reasoned that Ms Kabafunzaki did not report a matter of a missing person at the nearest police station.