By Spy Uganda
The Anti-Corruption Court has denied bail to Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Goretti Kitutu, due to a lack of substantial sureties.
Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro explained that the three proposed sureties, including the minister’s husband, former MP Simon Mulongo, and family friend Joel Wandagwa, did not present sufficient proof of employment or financial capacity to fulfill their duties.
She is jointly charged with her young brother, Naboya Kitutu, 52, a peasant at Situmi village, Situmi parish, Bukhawekha sub-county in Namisindwa district, and Abaho Joshua, the senior assistant secretary – Ministry of Karamoja Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) slapped Kitutu with multiple charges loss of public property, corruption, and conspiracy to commit a felony while Naboya is separately charged with the offence of receiving stolen iron sheets.
Prosecution states that the accused persons between the month of June 2022 and January 2023 at the Prime Minister’s store in Namanve, Mukono district caused loss of property in form of 9000 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28 and 5,500 pre-painted iron sheets (also gauge 28) by diverting them from the intended purpose of benefiting the Karamoja community empowerment programme to their own benefits, knowing that such acts would result into loss of the said public property.
The minister was arrested on Tuesday last week at Parliament while appearing before the Presidential Affairs Committee which is also probing the matter and handed over to the Criminal Investigations Directorate.
She was then taken to Kibuli where the joint team of CID and State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) were waiting for her. This was after Kitutu snubbed the summonses that had been served to her by the Police.
When she appeared before CID, Kitutu reportedly declined to speak to the detectives, forcing the Police to detain her. At about 10:45 pm, a decision was made to drive Kitutu to Kira Division Police headquarters in Kira municipality where she was jailed before appearing in Court that decided to remand her.
