Police have forcefully opened the office of Arua District Kadhi Sheikh Amin Maga after it was locked by a rival faction one year ago. It was opened last evening in the presence of the Deputy Mufti Sheik Abdu Hai Mukiibi after Maga was cleared of accusations misappropriation of funds.
The rival faction led by Hajji Ismail Angulibo had accused Maga of embezzling over 11 million shillings that was collected from Arua main Abattoir, 15 million shillings meant for the purchase of land for a public cemetery and mismanagement of about 5 million shillings collected as lock up fees. They also accused Maga of abuse of office, gross incompetence and asked the Mufti Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje to sack him. After receiving the complaint the Mufti suspended Maga and instituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations.
On Wednesday, the committee led by Arua deputy RDC exonerated Maga and dismissed all the allegations against him.
The probe committee report issued at Irishad Mosque drew protests from Maga’s rivals who threatened to lynch the deputy Mufti and Haji Abdul Wahab Rwagasa, the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council secretary for administration. Despite the protests, the last evening the deputy Mufti led by anti riot police stormed Irishad Mosque and opened the Kadhi’s office.
Sheikh Mukiibi said they will not allow a small section of the community with ulterior motives to disrupt the entire Muslim community in Arua. He asked those dissatisfied with the probe committee report to petition court instead of resorting to violence. Police has maintained heavy presence at the office to stop any attack on Maga. But Hajji Angulibo will not have any of this. Angulibo says that they have lost the first phase of the battle to Maga because of corruption and are now resorting to the courts of law to address their grievances.
//Cue in: “you saw it there…”
Cue out…to the last minute.”//
Maga says that he has nothing to comment on the decision by his rivals to go court but wishes them well saying that he was not appointed by court to the office of the Kadhi.
