Lugoloobi locked up, Nandutu a no-show

Minister of State for Planning Amos Lugoloobi yesterday wept, wiping tears from his eyes moments after he stepped into the dock of the packed courtroom to face charges related to the Karamoja iron sheets scandal. 
It had been anticipated that he would be appearing alongside Ms Agnes Nandutu, the junior minister for Karamoja Affairs. But Ms Nandutu’s whereabouts remained unknown. She never responded to police summons on Friday, did not turn up at CID headquarters yesterday morning.

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 Clad in a multi-coloured, long-sleeved African wear shirt, Mr Lugoloobi appeared to have been overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere in court and the strangeness of his position.  
As charges of dealing with suspect property contrary to Section 21A of the Anti-Corruption Act were read out to him, Mr Lugoloobi seemed to shrink into himself.  
“Your worship, not guilty…,” the minister mumbled, pleading not guilty to the two counts of dealing with suspect property which the magistrate read out. 
He was to leave court, remanded to Luzira Prison until Thursday, even more downcast.  
Principal Senior Grade One Magistrate, Ebert Asiimwe, reserved his ruling on the bail application made by defence lawyer John Isabirye. He was neither persuaded by the cannula stuck in Lugoloobi’s hand, nor by appeals that the minister was not well. 

At Luzira prison, the minister will be pondering over the possibility of seven years imprisonment if found guilty, or to a fine of 160 currency points (Shs3.2 million) or both. 
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Lugoloobi between July 14, 2022 and February at stores of the Office of the Prime Minister in Namanve, Mukono District and in Matugga, Wakiso District and Ntenjeru North Constituency in Kayunga District, dealt with government property, to wit; 400 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister”. 
The DPP says the minister allegedly committed this offence well knowing that the said iron sheets were acquired as a result of loss of public property. 
Under count two of the same charge, the DPP contended that the minister between the same period and same places, dealt with 300 pre-painted iron sheets. 
The Ntenjeru North MP had presented seven people to stand surety for his bail to no avail. 
 They included Mariam Naigaga (Woman MP Namutumba District), James Kakooza (EALA MP), Dr Kefa Kiwanuka (MP for Kiboga East). 

Others were Mr Paul Mugambwa Sempa, a former ambassador of Uganda to Brazil; Mr Martin Ssekaja, head operations at Uganda Security Printing Company; Dr Joseph Muvawaala, the executive director of National Planning Authority/Busoga Kingdom prime minister, and Mr Moses Kalisa Karangwa, the chairperson of NRM party in Kayunga District. 
Another defence lawyer, Mr Tonny Tumukunde, had presented medical documents including a form from the Uganda Heart Institute, indicating that the minister is hypertensive and had recently undergone heart surgery, to no avail.   
Shortly after the court session, some of his constituents who had thronged court, lamented that their MP had done a lot for the government and that it was unfair to have him paraded before court. 

Minister Lugoloobi is one of the ministers who last Friday returned iron sheets to the OPM’s stores in Namanve, following President Museveni’s orders to his ministers to return the irons sheets or pay in cash the equivalent of the value of items. 
In February, the minister admitted to have used some of the iron sheets he received to roof a shed for his goats on his farm located in Misanga Village, Bbaale Sub-county in Kayunga District. 
He, however, plucked off the same iron sheets after there was public outcry over ministers who were given iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja. 
The minister had spent the weekend in police custody at Kira Division Police following his arrest that evening, reportedly en route to Entebbe International Airport. 

 Nandutu still missing
Earlier in the course of the day yesterday, police spokesperson Fred Enanga told his weekly media briefing that State minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu has not responded to summons issued for her to appear last week. 
“Last Friday, we summoned Agnes Nandutu, to reappear at Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters to clarify on certain additional areas of inquiry but she did not turn up,” Mr Enanga said. 
“We would like to inform all persons subjected to investigation to please cooperate with the task team of investigators. The information that we require can help either prove the allegations against you or disprove the allegations that have been put against them,” he added. 

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Mr Enanga said although most of the investigations have been completed, there are still questions arising out of the constant consultations between investigators and the office of the DPP, which is why they are still summoning suspects. 
“There are some of the suspects that we interviewed from the beginning and we re-invited them to appear at CID headquarters but some of them did not appear,” he said.
 He added: “The cases are being handled on a case by case basis, we opened individual case files for each and every one whom we feel is involved in the iron sheets investigation and we submitted several of those case files. As the police, we only respond where charges are sanctioned against the suspects.” 
Minister Lugoloobi becomes the second Cabinet minister to be charged in connection with the alleged diversion and theft of iron sheets meant for the vulnerable in Karamoja. 
Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu was the first to face court and detention in Luzira where she was remanded until Friday, April 14 when she released on a cash bail of Shs10 million. 
She is jointly charged with her younger brother, Mr Michael Naboya Kitutu and Mr Joshua Abaho, the senior assistant secretary, Ministry of Karamoja Affairs in OPM.

Section 21A of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 
Dealing with suspect property
(1) A person who deals with property that he or she believes or has reason to believe was acquired as a result of an offence under this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred and sixty currency points or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding seven years or both.
(2) For the purposes of sub section (1), a person deals with property if that person—
(a) holds, receives or conceals the property;
(b) enters into a transaction in relation to the property or causes such a transaction to be entered into; or
(c) removes the property from the jurisdiction of court for the purpose of assisting any person to avoid confiscation of that property.
[section 21A inserted by section 3 of Act 21 of 2015]