Kutesa however assured diplomats that the Ugandan government is convinced that the current hitch in the state bilateral relations between the two neighbor's will be resolved.
Kutesa reportedly received a bribe of USD 500,000 1.8 billion Shillings from Ho to seal a scheme that was reportedly hatched in the halls of the United Nations in New York, when he served as the President of the U.N. General Assembly.
The demand follows the trial in New York of two businessmen charged for paying millions of US Dollars in bribes to secure business deals in Uganda and Chad on behalf of a Shanghai-based multi-billion-dollar conglomerate that wanted to gain business advantages in Africa.
The documents seen by URN do not, however, specify the gifts and their financial worth. It is not also clear whether President Museveni personally received the alleged gifts. However, Sam Kutesa is reported to have received a bribe of USD 500,000 1.8 billion Shillings for assisting the company to obtain lucrative opportunities in Ugandas energy sector and connecting them to the President.
The Department of Justice unsealed the criminal complaints on Monday charging the head of a Hong Kong-based NGO Dr Chi Ping Patrick Ho, 68, of Hong Kong, and the former foreign minister of Senegal Cheikh Gadio, 61, with bribing high-level officials to help a Chinese oil and gas company.
Kutesa made the call at the opening of a high-powered economic forum aimed at boosting trade and investments between the two countries. In attendance are political and economic delegations from both countries led by the foreign affairs ministers.
Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa has said Ugandas foreign policy is moving towards economic and commercial diplomacy in trying to ensure that the country can achieve social economic transformation.
Former Minister Aggrey Awori scoffs at those criticizing his decision to return to elective politics, noting that it would be unfair to ask him to leave politics yet President Yoweri Museveni, whom he claims is also a veteran in politics, is not asked to leave the political stage.
Sam Kutesa was speaking at the beginning of a high-level thematic debate in New York focusing on strengthening cooperation between the UN and regional groupings.
One bottleneck that has bedeviled Africa has been the espousing of the pseudo-ideology of sectarianism of religion or tribe as well as chauvinism vis-a-vis the women. It is this pseudo-ideology that has fueled most of the conflicts in Africa, Museveni said. This pseudo-ideology should be banished and treated with the contempt it deserves, he added.
Kutesa, 65, relocated to New York early this week to take on the largely ceremonial role at the UN headquarters. He temporarily relinquished his post as Foreign affairs minister but maintained his MP slot for Mawogola County. But a renowned constitutional lawyer and researcher Peter Magelah says Kutesa is now incapable of representing the electorate.
Vincent Kimbugwe, a campaign strategist to Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa is among the five candidates who intend to contest for the Mawogola County Parliamentary seat. Kutesa represented the county in Parliament from 1996 to date.
However, Mwagalwa’s family couldn’t hide their anger towards President Yoweri Museveni for failing to show up at his funeral despite his role in the NRA liberation struggle.
Nwoya County Member of Parliament, Richard Todwong, has spoken out over claims that some government ministers took bribes saying that he is certain the claims are true.
