----- Original Message ----- 
From: gook makanga 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 9:03 PM
Subject: State House dragged into coltan saga


State House dragged into coltan saga
By David Kibirige
Feb 8, 2004

      Rugunda calls crisis meeting 
      KAMPALA - State House has been dragged into a very ugly scandal involving coltan from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

      The coltan scam involves several Congolese, Rwandans and Ugandan business people. 

      An aide to President Yoweri Museveni has already written to Col. Elly Kayanja instructing him to arrest a Congolese national, Rwema Gervais, now exiled in Uganda.

      Rwema, a Munyamulenge (Congolese of Rwandan origin) chief, says it all begun when he was contacted by Kampala business woman, Ms Joy Basigaga Mugisha in 2000 who expressed desire to deal in coltan, a precious metal used in the manufacture of mobile phones and computers.

      Rwema says he in turn connected Basigaga to one Mr Nicolas Nsengiyunvu a renowned mineral dealer in DRC.

      Rwema says he was promised a commission on every deal finalised. Basigaga gave Nsengiyunvu US $80,000 (about Shs 160m) through Rwema.

      Another Kampala businessman, John Seromba claims he gave Rwema US $50,000 (about Shs 100m) to get him coltan.

      An agreement seen by Sunday Monitor shows that Basigaga and Rwema were to share fifty percent, each on the profits.

      Documents seen by Sunday Monitor confirm receipt of the money. Rwema confirmed on January 31 that he had received the money and passed it on to Nsengiyunvu.

      He says when the first deal materialised he was kicked out by Basigaga who told him she was to deal directly with Nsengiyunvu.

      In January 2002 Basigaga is said to have travelled to Beni. After sometime Nsengiyunvu disappeared and fled to Burundi.

      This is when Basigaga told Rwema to produce him since he was the one who introduced him to her.

      He says he contacted a Colonel in the Burundi army, who caused the arrest of Nsengiyunvu.

      He was taken to Kigali and thrown into jail. Documents seen by Sunday Monitor show that in January 2003 Nsengiyunvu sold his house and paid Basigaga US 30,000 remaining with a balance of US 50,000 which he promised to pay over a two year period.

      Nsengiyunvu told Sunday Monitor on January 26 that he owed Basigaga money.
      However Basigaga says it is Rwema who owes her money.

      On November 20, 2003 Rwema was arrested and taken to CID headquarters. After recording a statement he was released on police bond.

      In December last year he was charged at the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court with obtaining money by false pretence. He was released on bail.

      Rwema says after court had released him, different security agencies started harassing him.

      But even before the court ruling, he had been held in several ungazzeted detention places.

      On November 21, 2003 Kampala Associated Advocates (KAD) wrote to the Director General of Internal Security Organisation (ISO) expressing intention to sue for alleged kidnapping, torture and wrongful confinement of Rwema. 

      " The latest outrages occurred yesterday when at 6.30pm near Nakasero National Housing flats in Kampala, your personnel abducted our client, assaulted him and tortured him in some place of confinement in the Nakasero area of Kampala until 1.00 am this morning when he was released. 

      They stole his motor vehicle no NK 0209 a Toyota Hurrier, his golden watch, his gold neck chain, his Nokia cell phone 6800, his golden ring, his golden cartier ink pen, his US 1,000 dollars and Uganda shillings 180,000, they also destroyed his shirt and trousers," reads part of the letter.

      On December 15 the same law firm wrote to the Attorney General listing more than 20 cases involving security agencies in the torture of Rwema.

      "My fingers were broken. I have been tortured by ISO and VCCU personnel on the instigation of Joy and one John Seromba," Rwema said.

      Seromba told Sunday Monitor on January that Rwema owes him US $50,000. "I also gave him fifty thousand dollars," said Seromba. 

      Asked how and why he entrusted such a big sum of money to a stranger Seromba said; "There is money in minerals and who would not like to make money?" 

      "My only problem is that I do not have any written documents to show that Rwema has my money," he said.

      Seromba however said if there is anyone harassing Rwema it is wrong.

      State House comes in

      Rwema's case took a strange twist when State House got involved. On January 8 this year, the acting Presidential Private Secretary, Fox Odoi Oywelwo wrote to ISO boss Col. Elly Kayanja ordering him to arrest Rwema.

      "One Rwema Garvis has fraudulently obtained substantial amounts of money from the person in reference above and many others. We are reliably informed that he runs a criminal gang involved in financial fraud in Kampala and threatening the security of private citizens. Please call his immediate arrest and a meeting between him, the victims and ourselves," Odoi's letter reads.

      It is copied to the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Katumba Wamala and to the External Security Organisation (ESO) boss. 

      Rwema was arrested but officers at the Central Police Station (CPS) refused to detain him, saying the matter was before court.

      Odoi defended his action when Sunday Monitor contacted him, Friday afternoon.
      "I wrote that letter to have him arrested. He is the biggest thug in town. He has conned people of huge sums of money, promising to sell to them coltan. He even threatened to kill one Joy. He promises people that if they give him money he would take them to the DRC President, Joseph Kabila," said Odoi.

      "But why should State House get involved in a case before court?" Sunday Monitor asked - to which Odoi said; "He has very many different cases. Right now he has several new cases."

      But Rwema insists he is no criminal but a victim of security agencies in Uganda.
      Rwema says that because of torture and harassment he was on January 14 made to sign a document committing himself that he owed Basigaga money.

      The memorandum of acknowledgement and undertaking to pay, seen by Sunday Monitor shows that Rwema is to pay US 50,000 to Basigaga not later than February 15.

      "The borrower has provided the following properties as security- House No 22C, Lubowa Estate, presently registered in the names of National Housing and Construction Corporation. Motor vehicle Reg. NK 0209 A whose particulars are chassis No; MCU 10000309; Engine no. IMZ EO533668; Make Toyota Harrier jeep," reads the agreement.

      However Rwema says he was forced to sign the agreement. "I have been tortured for long. This woman Basigaga is a bad woman. I even gave her five thousand dollars when she told me she had problems, now she turns around and says I owe her money," Rwema said.

      He says he has been threatened with deportation. On February 5 the minister of Internal Affairs, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, convened a one-and-half-hour crisis meeting over the scandal. Maj. Gen. Katumba Wamala, ISO deputy chief Lt. 

      Mukumbi, Fox Odoi, and the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Dr Kagoda, attended it. 

      The closed meeting, according to sources, resolved that no one was supposed to arrest Rwema since the matter was before court.

      Later the resolutions were communicated to Rwema and Basigaga in the presence of the former's lawyer, Abdu Katuntu.

      On January 31 when this reporter called Basigaga, she made an appointment saying she wanted to give her side of the story. However, she never turned up.

      On Friday this reporter insisted that it would be fair if she gave her side of the story. Again she made an appointment, but which she never honoured.

      Uganda has been accused by the United Nations of plundering DRC minerals.
      Uganda is now considered the transit hub for minerals from DRC enroute to Europe.
     


© 2004 The Monitor Publications





Gook 

"The strategy of the guerilla struggle was to cause maximum chaos and destruction in order to render the government of the day very unpopular"
Lt. Gen. Kaguta Museveni (Leader of the NRA guerilla army in Luwero)


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