13th September 2023.
Kampala, Uganda – In an unexpected turn of events, the trial of Agnes Nandutu, the State Minister of Karamoja Affairs and Member of Parliament for Bududa district, failed to take off due to the absence of the Chief State Attorney, David Bisamunyu. The trial was scheduled to take place at the Anti-Corruption Court before Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga.
The courtroom buzzed with anticipation as the case, involving allegations of dealing with suspect property and conspiracy to defraud, was set for hearing. Two witnesses had been summoned to testify in the matter. However, the proceedings came to a halt when it was revealed that Chief State Attorney David Bisamunyu had encountered an accident at his home the previous night and was advised to rest.
State Attorney Innocent Aleto, addressing the court, expressed the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Bisamunyu’s absence. He requested an adjournment to allow the Chief State Attorney time to recover. Caleb Alaka, the lawyer representing Agnes Nandutu, did not object to the adjournment, stating, “In the circumstance of what has befallen our learned friend, we have no objection to the adjournment, although we were ready to proceed.”
Responding to the situation, Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga granted the adjournment, acknowledging the validity of the reasons presented. The case has now been rescheduled for further hearing on November 6, 2023.
The prosecution alleges that between June and July 2022, at the Office of the Prime Minister’s stores in Namanve and in Kkola Cell, Bulwanyi Parish, Mukono district, Nandutu dealt with government property, specifically 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister.” The prosecution further claims that these iron sheets were acquired as a result of the loss of public property.
The evidence against Nandutu suggests that in June 2022, Minister Goretti Kitutu offered her 2,000 iron sheets to aid victims of landslides. Nandutu allegedly accepted the offer, arranged for transport, and sent her political assistant, Evelyn Bazibu, to collect the iron sheets from the OPM Stores in Namanve. Subsequently, security operatives reportedly recovered 1,617 iron sheets from Nandutu’s farm in Mukono district, leaving 383 iron sheets unaccounted for.
