The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & URN | The Minister of State for Finance and Planning Amos Lugoloobi has been denied bail by the Anti Corruption Court. He has been remanded to Luzira Prison until Thursday April 20.
Lugoloobi was arrested last week in relation to diversion of iron sheets for people of Karamoja.
The charges arise from his alleged involvement in the diversion of 700 pieces of iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program.
The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala heard that Lugoloobi, while at the office of the Prime Minister Stores in Namanve, Mukono District and at different places in Matugga, Wakiso and Ntejeru North in Kayunga District dealt with government property containing 700 prepainted iron sheets.
The said iron sheets were obtained in two phases; one containing 400 iron sheets that were taken between July 14, 2022, and February 2023, and another batch of 300 iron sheets obtained between February 16, 2023, and March 16, 2023. He denied the charges.
As a result, the Prosecution led by State Attorneys Stanley Moses Baine, David Kisamunyu, Jonathan Muwaganya and Safina Lule informed the court that the investigations in this matter are still ongoing. Baine asked for an adjournment.
Sources say that Lugoloobi has been shunning CID summons duping investigators that he is out of the country on official duties whereas not. Sources say he was arrested on his way to Entebbe and held at Kira Road Police Station.
Lugoloobi becomes the second Minister to be arrested in relation to this scandal where more than 14,500 iron sheets meant to benefit the Karamoja people under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program were diverted to the benefit of third parties. Lugolobi, it was reported earlier, used the iron sheets the recived to roof his piggery in Kayunga.
Minister Lugolobi' sympathizers camp at the Anti Corruption Court in Kololo ahead of the court session this afternoon.@UrbanTVUganda @newvisionwire #VisionUpdates #MabaatiScandal. pic.twitter.com/UG6xFtlaJ4
— Henry Sekanjako (@sekahenry) April 17, 2023
The Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu was the first to be arrested and she spent two days within police custody before she could be produced before the Anti Corruption Court on April 6th 2023 together with her brother Michael Naboya Kitutu on six charges related to causing loss of property and conspiracy to defraud the government of Uganda.
Kitutu and her brother Naboya were earlier in the day granted bail by the Anti Corruption Court and they will return on April 27th 2023 for the Prosecution to inform court about the status of investigations.
They had each spent eight days in Luzira Prison on remand .
Court also further renewed Criminal Summons against Joshua Abaho, the Senior Assistant Secretary Ministry of Karamoja Affairs in the office of the Prime Minister.
In December 2021, the Parliament passed a supplementary budget worth 39 billion shillings to support various programs in Karamoja. Of these, 22 billion shillings were meant to purchase goats while 5 billion shillings was for procurement of 100,000 iron sheets which are alleged to have been diverted.
Last month CID stated that they were investigating 22 Ministers, 31 MPs and 13 Chief Administrative Officers.
The Spokesperson of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Jacquelyn Okui has since stated that files of those implicated will be coming in in peacemeals as and when they are forwarded by the Police which is investigating the matter.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on April 3rd 2023 wrote to the Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja saying those who were involved in the iron sheets scandal made a political mistake and he also promised to make a political action.
The President also advised those who received the iron sheets to return them. Others like Speaker Anita Among have since heed to the President’s advice.
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