A Ugandan Member of Parliament took Ksh 2.04 Million from British American Tobacco (BAT) company as an inducement to doctor a parliamentary report, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) claims.This comes few days after BAT Kenya was also accused of bribing a kenyan politician,Mr Moses Wetangulah.
BAT Uganda is also accused of bribing a local environmental official to misreport the impact from a fire at one of its warehouses in Uganda. BBC says Bugangaizi West MP Kasirivu-Atwooki took the money to undermine BAT’s rival, whom they did not name.
However, Mr Kasirivu-Atwooki yesterday dismissed the claim. “Committee reports are typed by clerks and then the entire committee goes through the draft,” he told Daily Monitor. He added that it is even “unimaginable” to give just one person $20,000.
Over the years, the MP said he has been mobilising farmers in his area to challenge Continental Tobacco, BAT’s perceived rival, over non-payment. Even during an interview with the BBC, Mr Kasirivu refuted the bribery accusations.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the State minister for Health, also said the charge is “baseless”. “Mr Atwooki was not a member of the Health committee. So he could not have influenced or altered the committee report,” Dr Baryomunsi, the Kinkiizi East MP who initiated the Tobacco Control Bill, 2014, said yesterday.
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