Wanted MP Kipoi returns

The wanted Bubulo west MP, Tonny Kipoi is back. He arrived in the country on Monday aboard Rwanda Airways from South Africa (SA).


Mr. Tonny Kipoi

Speaking about his two-month absence from Parliament, Kipo said that he had gone to SA for treatment of chest pain.

The angry MP dismissed allegations that he is a drug trafficker and said he was not afraid of facing the law. He said the allegations were politically motivated by his political opponents.

He explained he had never recovered from the illness following an accident along Kampala-Mbale road in 2010 and usually goes to SA for review.

He told The New Vision that he is expected to go back to Bredhurst Hospital in Johannesberg for review on August 27.

Recently, Saturday Vision reported that the Speaker had summoned Kipoi over his absence from Parliament. The paper also quoted Sunday Vision as having said that the MP went missing after he was interrogated by the Criminal Investigations Department over allegations of drug trafficking.

Press reports said on June 14 Interpol was asked to investigate Kipoi over drug trafficking. This followed the arrest of Ugandan Moses Shaban Khuju in Brazil with 80 plastic capsules containing 1.19 kg of cocaine. The reports also said police are investigating a possible link between Kipoi and a Nigerian drug lord.

However, Kipoi said he had written to Speaker Rebecca Kadaga about his travel. He denied having been questioned by CID as alleged.

He asked why Intepol has not arrested him if he is a wanted person. “I landed in Kigali and I was cleared. I have also landed in Entebbe. Why didn’t the officers arrest me? I have discovered that my opponents want to scare me so that they take over my constituency,” he said.

He alleged that the Commissioner in charge on Narcotics, Fabian Amadi was being used by his opponents. Amadi was quoted by Saturday Vision as having said that they had failed to find the MP.

Kipoi wanted to know where the five kilogrammes of cocaine the police is talking about is and the woman who was arrested in connected with it. He also wanted to know where the Nigerian man is.

Displaying his passport, he denied press reports that he had travelled to Brazil.

When contacted Amadi said he is not arresting Kipoi but wants to get his side of the story. “The question is not arresting him but getting clarification from him. We do not arrest a person without clear proof.” He clarified that the MP was implicated in drug trafficking.

Amadi added, “I am not being used by his political opponents. I got information from Interpol. Interpol wrote to the Director CID. Who am I to be used?”