Teddy Seezi Cheeye, the former director of economic monitoring in the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) who recently completed a jail term for corruption, still believes that he was wrongly convicted for embezzling Global Fund money worth Shs120 million.
The Global Fund scandal unfolded from 2005 and 2009 and it involved tens of millions of dollars in grants from the Geneva-based Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria that went to charities that did not exist or into the personal bank accounts of government employees.
Veteran journalist Teddy Seezi Cheeye, who was then the director of economic monitoring in ISO was among the first suspects to be convicted for his role in misappropriation and embezzlement the Global Fund money. Justice John Bosco Katutsi of the Anti-corruption Court sentenced him to 10 years in prison in October 2010.
Other suspects like former health minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi and his assistants Mike Mukula and Dr Alex Kamugisha were acquitted of the charges.
After doing seven years in Luzira Maximum Security Prison, Cheeye was released on 3rd March. In his first interview with NTV after walking free, Cheeye says he had a torrid time.
Although he went up to the highest appellate court the Supreme Court to challenge his sentence and conviction, Cheeye was not successful. But he still strongly believes that he did not get justice.
It was the irony of ironies that the once feared crusading journalist who edited and run the no-holds-barred Uganda Confidential newsletter that broke big corruption stories, ended up convicted of corruption. But Cheeye believes that he paid the ultimate price for stepping on the toes of powerful people.
But the man whose controversial newsletter had the tag line "The paper that splits atom", says he is now born again and holds no grudges against his tormentors.
Cheeye has strong opinions on Uganda's politics having been a keen observer of the situation in the country from his prison cell.He believes that the country is heading towards tough economic times because political expediency has been prioritised over sound economic policy and this will lead to uncontrolled spending by the government which will lead to high inflation, unemployment and a host of other dire situations.
As he enjoys freedom again, Cheeye has embarked on reviving his newsletter, the Uganda Confidential. He says the first edition will be out early April.