ACB pursue Uladi over Immigration citizenship racket: PP leader’s arrest looming

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has commenced investigations against former Home Affairs and Internal Security minister, Uladi Mussa for illegally approving citizenships of hundreds of Rwandese, Burundi nationals.

Several Burundians and Rwandese have reportedly claimed how Mussa pocketed money from them to approve their citizenship applications.

And the anti-graft body has acted quickly by opening up a docket on the issue with Mussa’s arrest looming.

ACB Senior Public Relations Officer Egrita Ndala confirmed to Nyasa Times that they are indeed investigating the Peoples Party (PP) acting-president.

“The Bureau is investigating the issue of permits at the Immigration Department We hope the foregoing is to your satisfaction,” Ndala said in response to Nyasa Times questionnaire on Mussa’s investigations.

One of several documents that are in Nyasa Times possession indicates that a Burundian, Hakizimana Egide, applied for his citizenship and that of other four family members in September 2013, and paid K2.5 million for Mussa to grant them citizenship.

Egide applications were approved just within a month.

When queried more on what really transpired behind official lines, the Burundians revealed that they met Uladi at his Area 10 residence where they gave him K2.5 million for the five applications.

Realizing that the system was porous, Egide, revealed, he returned within weeks with another application this time with names of nine Rwanda nationals who he claimed are his relations.

Some bribes were allegedly  made to Mussa through his personal aide, and the applications were approved in March 2014.

According to the Burundians, by the time PP lost the May 2014 elections they had already made another K5million payment to Uladi for the processing of citizenships for ten other people.

When contacted earlier on this month, Mussa feign ignorance of the issue, arguing he never met Egide or any of his relatives.

“I don’t know him. And I don’t know anything about this issue,” argued Mussa.

Asked about the money, the PP leader insisted that that he never pocketed any money and that as minister he had no powers to single-handedly approve any citizenship application and that he only
responded to a memo from Immigration Department.

“If government has nothing to do, they should not create these stories. I don’t know the person you are talking about,” insisted Mussa.

Mussa was earlier on exposed by a Rwandese, Eric Banyana, who instead of applying for citizenship for only his wife and children ended up adding six more people on the application list.

However, officials at Immigration Department have rubbished Mussa’s claims, and have launched a probe to get to the bottom of the matter.

The influx of Rwanda and Burundi nationals in the country’s major cities and trading centres has persistently worried locals who wonder why and how these foreigners acquire citizenship, land and business permits without following procedures.

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