Kerry Howard Mwesigwa.
The legal proceedings against Agnes Nandutu, the State Minister for Karamoja Affairs, have encountered a setback due to the judge’s absence. Nandutu is facing charges of diverting iron sheets that were intended for the Karamoja region. The scheduled hearing on July 3 had to be adjourned as the judge was engaged in a plea bargain session at Luzira Prison. This plea bargain process enables the accused persons to plead guilty in exchange for certain concessions from the prosecutors.
Represented by Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, along with his legal team consisting of Evans Ochieng, Nandaah Wamukoota, and John Nalela, the State accesses the Minister Nandutu of involvement in dealing with suspect property and conspiracy to defraud. If convicted, she could face a maximum sentence of seven years for the former charge and three years for the latter.
The prosecution alleges that Nandutu received and held 2000 pre-painted iron sheets labeled as property of the “Office of the Prime Minister.” These alleged actions took place between June and July 2022 at the storage facilities of the Office of the Prime Minister in Namanve and in Kkola Cell, Bulwanyi Parish, Mukono district.
According to the prosecution’s claims, Minister Goretti Kitutu contacted Nandutu in June 2022, informing her that she had provided 2,000 iron sheets to assist landslide victims who had lost their homes. It is alleged that Nandutu accepted the offer and confirmed the availability of the iron sheets through Abaho. Subsequently, on June 23, 2022, Nandutu arranged for sh750,000 to cover transportation costs and sent her political assistant, Evelyn Bazibu, to collect the iron sheets from the storage facilities in Namanve. Bazibu acknowledged the receipt by signing a voucher, and the iron sheets were released under the supervision of Osbert Arinaitwe, the assistant inventory management officer at the Office of the Prime Minister.
During a search conducted on Nandutu’s farm in Mukono district, security operatives allegedly discovered 1,617 iron sheets, leaving 383 sheets unaccounted for. The prosecution contends that Nandutu has failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the whereabouts of the missing iron sheets. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for July 27, 2023.
