Police have denied allegations that Rukiga county MP who also doubles as the State Minister for labor, employment and industry Hon. Herbert Kabafunzaki was framed, leading to his arrest on Saturday.
These claims started emerging largely on social media after arrest at the Kampala Serena, that the junior minister had been framed by the ‘well connected’ Muhammad Aya of Aya Group.
Responding to questions from journalists on Monday during the weekly press conference, police spokesperson AIGP Asan Kasingye said it is not true that Kabafunzaki was arrested in a bid to cover up the sexual harassment allegations against the Aya proprietor as claimed by some sections of the public.
“It is not true. Nobody is covering that case up. In fact it will be investigated and appropriate action taken,” Kasingye told journalists.
The Kampala Metropolitan Area Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima also affirmed that there is a case of sexual harassment reported by a former employee of Aya and there is another file of assault against the same Aya brother by the same employee.
“The files are at CPS and Old Kampala where Aya is accused of assault and also sexual harassment. In fact Muhammad Aya is out on police bond in relation to one of those files,”Kayima said.
He adds that the former Aya employee first reported a case of assault and promised to bring video evidence, but she never returned with the evidence.
“She then went ahead and filed a case of sexual harassment at another jurisdiction, abandoning the first file. It is therefore wrong to allege that the arrest of minister Kabafunzaki was meant to cover up allegations of sexual harassment by the Aya brothers,” Kayima clarified.
The police spokesperson says both cases will be properly investigated and appropriate action taken by authorities.
On claims that Muhammad Aya is well connected to the First Family and could have influenced a number of cases against him, the police spokesperson Asan Kasingye said he is not aware of any influence peddling in relation to the case.
“I am not aware of any other cases against the Aya brother. I am also not aware of how he can subvert or influence people in police,” Kasingye noted.
He added however that the sexual harassment case should be an eye opener to any other females who could have been molested at their places of work to come out and report for redress.
“We need to give hope to young employers who are harassed to always come out and report such cases to police.”
The police mouthpiece noted that Kabafunzaki is currently detained at Nalufenya police station from where he will be brought to court after investigations are complete.