National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary, Bernard Patrick Ogwel, has denied allegations of soliciting Shs30m kickback from the Uganda Netball Federation's Shs100m funds.
The contested funds were purportedly used to fund the national team’s trip to South Africa.
Uganda Netball Federation president Sarah Babirye Kityo, National Council of Sport officials, and other dignitaries were before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee investigating the matter.
Kityo, who is suspended from office to allow investigation into the matter admitted that though the federation received Shs100m, Shs30m was given to Ogwel as a kickback.
However, Ogwel vehemently denied the allegations: “I have never received anything from any official of the federation. Instead, I gave a helping hand when they had a problem.”
Ogwel explained to PAC that NCS’ budget was constrained at the time due to COVID but they managed to find means and made sure the men’s national netball team made it for the continental championship in South Africa.
Ogwel accused Kityo of witch-hunting him through various media appearances in which she accuses him of asking for bribes.
He said the federation president has been targeting his personality to malign him.
“What Sarah (Kityo) alleged was a deliberate malicious campaign to malign me. As soon as Sarah assumed office, her clandestine agenda against my personality became clear.”
“Right away in the second quarter she started recording and sharing viral messages against my personality,” Ogwel told PAC.
Ogwel revealed that he has since opened a case of defamation against Kityo over the same.