Judges sanctioned by U.S. open to being investigated

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The two judges sanctioned by the United States of America for their alleged involvement in an adoption scam have said they are open to be investigated saying the accusations against them are false.

The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Monday sanctioned Soroti Resident Judge Wilson Musalu Musene and retired judge Moses Mukiibi, lawyer Dorah Mirembe and her husband, Patrick Ecobu for allegedly deceiving innocent Ugandan families into giving up their children for adoption.

According to the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Justin G. Muzinich, the individuals involved in the scam that deliberately exploited the good faith of Ugandans and Americans to enrich themselves, in several cases, the parents were told that their children were being taken to study abroad but they did not know that they have given up rights of their children.

Documents by the Department of the Treasury show that an unnamed adoption agency used the services of Dorah Mirembe’s law firm to manipulate legal documents and set up intermediaries to engage Ugandan families to give up their children for adoption. Many of the children were then presented before courts as though they were orphans.

It is also alleged that to arrange the adoption of the children, Mirembe, with the assistance of Ecobu facilitated multiple bribes to Ugandan judges Mukiibi, Musene and other Ugandan government officials, either directly or through an interlocutor.

Now the accused judges say they were shocked to hear about the sanctions, adding that they have done their work deligently and openly in the courts of law. They say that if there is any investigation to be instituted on the matter, they are very open to have it happen as they have nothing to hide.

The judges have also issued a call for anyone with evidence of bribe against them as they served in the courts of law.

Wilson Masalu Musene the Soroti resident judge in an interview with Uganda Radio Network (URN) says that as far as he is concerned, the cases of adoption that he was involved in were very professionally done, with all documents and evidence present. He says he is not aware of any network or racket and all these are allegations are false and malicious.

Musene says that he welcomes any investigations into the matter, adding that if there was any, it was only fair for them to be given chance to respond since they deny any wrong doing. He says all they want is natural justice to be given chance to express themselves. He says he was so shocked to see the news on sanctions, and says definitely there is no smoke without fire, on them being named in the scandal unheard.

He added that they will try and follow all the channels in judiciary to ensure that they are heard and this malicious sanction is handled.

He says as far as he was concerned, as a judge, all the adoption cases he handled had more than convincing evidence from reports of probation and welfare officers.

Retired Judge Moses Mukiibi has also called for anyone with evidence against him specifically on bribery and fraud to present it, adding that he has retired with a clean record and he is no-longer a serving judge. He says that he was shocked to see his names all over the press over something that he did not do.

He says that he has opened up himself, and whoever has anything should come out.

The two said they will seek to meet the Judiciary leadership as a measure to address this challenge. The Judiciary Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana told Uganda Radio Network – URN in an earlier interview that they would review the sanctions and also the cases.

According to the Judicial service commission, the case was already under investigation.

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URN