INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING! Report reveals how army, shrewd civilians execute business deals…and also gold

A recent gold deal gone badly that saw civilians charged in the army court has posed some questions. Can the army and civilian business community ever work together? Can the army and civilian business community work together without compromising national security? Can the army act impartial when things go south rather than subjecting the civilian business community to intimidation, arrest and torture? Who should be the arbitrator in case things go wrong? Army court or civil courts?

For the uninitiated, this publication recently, on these same pages, revealed how a Kenyan lawyer Josphat Munyua Kariuki aka JM in a fake gold scam landed Updf Sukhoi pilot, five other Ugandans in hot soup.

We reported how last year in November the General Court Martial under the leadership of Brig. Robert Freeman Mugabe, sat and charged two soldiers and four civilians with an offense related to security contrary to the UPDF Act of 2005.

These are Lt. Isaac Makobore, 37, attached to Entebbe Air Force wing and one of few Ugandans who can fly the most feared and prized Uganda’s MiG-21 and Sukhoi Su-30MK fighter jets. The second soldier is elderly Sergeant Fulgensio Batte, 59, who is Lt. Makobore’s driver whenever he is not in the skies pounding ADF rebels in DRC.

The civilians are businessman Sam Buchanan’s son Denis Buchanan, John Bosco Nyundo, Godfrey Mukiibi alias Semakula, and Patrick Tshimanga, a Congolese refugee.

Prosecution led by Major Emmy Ekyaruhanga says between December 1, 2021 and December 5, 2021 at Entebbe Air force Military Base in Wakiso District, without authorization, the six moved and accessed the air drone wing which was an act prejudicing the security of the defense forces.

This publication has learnt that there is more to it than meets the eye. The real crime is that they are being pinned in a gold deal gone badly.

This has been alluded to in a sworn statement by Gorret Bunjo Mukiibi where she states that her husband, Mukiibi told her that he was informed by his captors that he was detained on the orders of a top Army official over an alleged gold scam deal involving unknown persons he was not aware of or at all.

The truth of the matter, according to sources, is that some secure areas at Entebbe Airport where valuable goods like gold are kept are near UPDF Air force base or even inside the base.

And sometimes these places are accessed by civilians including foreigners and this is a genuine security concern depending on the manner they accessed them and reason.

Could these have inadvertently accessed the air drone wing as they went about Karuiki’s gold scam deal?

If they indeed accessed the air drone wing, who helped them gain access? Who is their Godfather at the Air force base? And what can be done to harmonize business relations between the army and civilian businessmen to avoid such scenarios—where the former turn against the latter to an extent of using ironfisted methods in case of disagreements?

THE INSIDE STORY

This publication is privy to contents of a report concerned officials will be deliberating on very soon to chat a way forward.

The report, according to a brief to this publication from those who have read through, points to the fact that whereas other dealings between the army and civilian businessmen have been going on well for betterment of the country and the institution of UPDF, it’s only those to do with gold that have always been a source of trouble and a solution must be found and very soon.

According to the brief, some army installations in active business with civilian businessmen include UPDF air base Entebbe, State House Entebbe, CMI, barracks—Bombo, Gulu and Nakasongola—and as well Luwero industries. We have withheld names of some individuals involved for now.

“The businessmen usually require access to these facilities to trade…arms, gold and execution of tenders. Sometimes it can take barter trade form,” the report reads in part. “Some are formal while others are reportedly informal.”

The brief further adds that for cases like gold, the civilian businessmen normally work directly under an assigned senior official for a reported 20% fee of the business.

Sometimes the low ranking men and women have no idea about what goes on and instead take orders without question and in case things go south they act as scapegoats.

The brief further stresses that often officials behind such businesses (gold) are always against changes and in case they succumb they leave behind a clear chain of command.

“The principals build their systems and keep running them even after departure. No matter how many heads change,” the report further points out.

Another dilemma is that some juniors sometimes grow wings and start issuing orders/commands on behalf of their bosses in executing such gold related businesses.

According to well-placed sources, the business community is reportedly willing to give up their in-house associates in order to streamline gold dealings involving civilians and the army.

Among the civilians’ concern is that once deals go south, the men in uniform turn against them.

“The civilians would wish for their differences [in the course of doing business] to be sorted out by the usual civilian institutions like police and courts of law….”

We have learnt that in the coming days, following a discussion on this report, heads may roll and we shall keep you updated. DO YOU HAVE A HOT STORY (CHEATERS, DIVORCE, VIDEOS, CORRUPTION, LAND WRANGLES, EXPOSES …ETAL) YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH? CALL/TEXT/WHATSAPP 0777959024 OR EMAIL: [email protected]

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