Eric Mwesigwa, who had earlier alleged he had been tortured by security personnel, has made a U-turn from his earlier allegations saying he was lured into faking torture.
Mwesigwa, who made the new allegations during a media press conference organised by the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs headquarters in Mbuya, said the National Unity Platform (NUP) leadership reportedly lured him to have wounds inflicted on his body promising to pay him sh50m and use him to put Government in bad light.
“I was lured by the NUP leadership who promised they would pay me sh50m if I accepted to have wounds inflicted on my body and use me to cast Government in bad light,” he alleged.
He also alleged that the NUP leadership had promised to take him abroad on top of the sh50m payment.
Mwesigwa and his brother, who has since been identified as Joseph Kaddu, said NUP has a drone (a moniker for a type of a van commonly used by security agencies in Uganda) they use to stage abductions of their own people.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, had earlier come out to refute allegations by Mweisgwa that he had been tortured by security personnel.
“Having done a thorough check on all security agencies, it has been established that one Eric Mwesigwa was not in the hands of any security agency. We advise him to go to the Uganda Human Rights Commission and report or the police so that we can commence an intensive investigation,” he said.
Very graphic images of Mwesigwa were released recently by the NUP party president, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine, in which his body had been maimed.
Mwesigwa alleged he was burnt with some hot metals on the chest, his skin torn into, while he was also kicked several times in the chest and stomach.
Speaking out on what he called a “despicable act,” Kyagulanyi accused the Government of abducting and torturing Mwesigwa.
“They abducted him and tortured him asking what Bobi Wine and NUP are planning to do to “overthrow the Government. What a group of cold-hearted criminals!” he said.
