Minister Kitutu challenges IGG’s summons in court
Minister for Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu during her bail hearing at the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Kampala in April, 2023. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
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- She further contends that the said inquiry is a disguised attempt to re-open the already concluded investigations with the intention to come up with alternative possible offences.
The embattled Karamoja Affairs Minister, Mary Goretti Kitutu has petitioned court challenging the Inspector General of Government’s (IGG) summons requiring her to appear for questioning over alleged supplementary funds released to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
In her application filed before the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, Dr Kitutu seeking a declaration that acts of the IGG in initiating investigations against her on allegations arising from alleged mismanagement of supplementary funds released to OPM to support peace-building activities in the Karamoja Sub-region in FY 2021/2022, violates her rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
“A permanent injunction be issued restraining the Inspectorate of Government, its employees and agents from conducting any investigations against the applicant in respect to the alleged mismanagement of supplementary funds released to the office of the prime minister to support peace-building activities in the Karamoja sub-region,” reads in part of the court documents.
According to the court documents, Dr Kitutu was charged in April 2023 with the loss of public property amounting to 14,500 iron sheets, and there was an investigation by various institutions including the Parliament of Uganda and this culminated in the charges against her.
Through her lawyers, Dr Kitutu states that the action of subjecting her to another set of investigations similar in character and touching the same transaction as the charges in HCT-OO-AC-0005-2023 contravenes her right to a fair hearing enshrined in Articles 28(1), 28(3), (a), (c), (d) and 44(c) of the 1995 constitution.
“That the investigations by the Inspectorate of Government are prejudicial to the applicant and violate her rights as an accused person in HCT-OO-AC-0005-2023,” court documents read in part.
Dr Kitutu contends that the IGG prematurely issued a search warrant to enter her premises at Buziga, Bbunga, carry out an inspection and collect any oral, electronic (including the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage at her residence and documentary evidence.
She further contends that the said inquiry is a disguised attempt to re-open the already concluded investigations with the intention to come up with alternative possible offences.
Meanwhile, Dr Kitutu was expected to appear before the IGG today (Thursday) but did not appear due to some reasons.
“She was unwell due to the hectic schedule she had towards the end of the year where she was visiting people in her constituency. We are here to also explain strong reservations on whether she can be summoned to give them information that they are asking for in the summons,” one of her lawyers Mr Jude Byamukama said.
