The high court in Masaka has summoned the State Minister for Information and Computer Technology, Alintuma Nsambu, for defamation.
Nsambu was dragged to court by the Masaka Grade 1 magistrate, Godfrey Kaweesa, who accused him of defamation.
The accusations stem from a news conference last year, in which Nsambu accused Kaweesa of soliciting him for a bribe of undisclosed amount money in return for a favorable ruling in a case in which he was accused of issuing a bounced cheque.
Nsambu was found guilty of issuing a bounced cheque of 1.6 million shillings to the Women Enterprises Association of Rakai in 2002. He was ordered to immediately pay back double the amount of money borrowed.
Shortly after the ruling, Nsambu told journalists that the only reason he was declared guilty was because he refused to give Kaweesa a bribe to rule in his favor.
Although Nsambu claimed to have a taped recording of Kaweesa asking for the bribe, he refused to submit it to the Inspector of Courts as evidence to prove his allegations.
Following Nsambu's claims, the Chief Registrar of Courts of Judicature, Lawrence Gidudu, set up a committee to investigate the claims. The committee however found the magistrate innocent.
Gidudu accused Nsambu of attempting to blackmail and judicial officer and asked him to appeal the Magistrate's ruling if he disagrees with it.
Nsambu however refused to comply prompting Kaweesa to sue him for defamation. Through his lawyers, Nyanzi and Co. advocates, Kaweesa is seeking 500 million shillings as compensation for the damage caused to his reputation.
The high court has given Nsambu two weeks to file his defense. Kaweesa's lawyer says Nsambu was served with the summons yesterday.
