Karamoja Iron Sheets Saga: Nandutu case pushed to 2025
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Anti Corruption Court in Kampala has pushed the case in which Former State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu is accused of dealing with suspect property to January 10th 2025.
On Thursday, the Anti Corruption Court Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga adjourned the matter to next year after the lawyers representing Nandutu led by Evans Ochieng informed her that they were not prepared to proceed.
The case was coming up for submissions on whether Nandutu should be found with a case to answer and put on her defence based on the evidence presented by ten Prosecution witnesses who testified in the matter, or whether she should be set free.
Nandutu faces charges of dealing in suspect property, with the prosecution alleging she privately dealt with government property, including 2000 pre-painted iron sheets, between June and July 2022.
The prosecution contends that the Minister received the iron sheets acquired due to the loss of public property, an offence under Section 10 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2009 as amended.
The investigating Officer Detective Superintendent of Police Winfred Nakatudde who was among the State witnesses testified a few months ago that they found 1617 iron sheets from Nandutu’s farm in Mukono but 383 were missing.
“But 383 iron sheets were missing but when we asked the farm manager, he said he did not know where the balance was because he did not count them Nakudde told the court.
In August 2024, the Court issued a warrant of arrest against John Watenga the brother and farm manager of Nandutu requiring him to appear in court and testify against the Bududa District Woman MP Nandutu in this case.
State Attorney David Bisamunyu requested a warrant of arrest after Watenga who was reportedly present at Nandutu’s farm in Mukono District from where the alleged iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people of Karamoja were recovered.
The Court has been looking for Watenga since May 2024 without success and the Prosecution reached the extent of closing its case without him after he became elusive.
The government implicated three ministers in the Iron Sheets scandal including Minister for Economic Planning Amos Lugoloobi whose case returns to court next year, former minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu whose trial was halted pending an appeal in which she is contesting the trial on torture allegations while she was in state custody.
The IG claims that between February and June 2022, while serving as Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Kitutu failed to conduct various peace-building activities in the Karamoja sub-region, resulting in a financial loss of Shillings 1.5 billion to the government.
******
URN
The post Karamoja Iron Sheets Saga: Nandutu case pushed to 2025 appeared first on The Independent Uganda:.
