UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | The highly-anticipated trial of Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu, facing corruption-related charges linked to the disappearance of 9,000 iron sheets, has been rescheduled for February 12-14, 2024.
The trial, set to take place at the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court, involves two counts of loss of public property and one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Co-defendant Mr Joshua Abaho, a Senior Assistant Secretary, is accused of causing the loss of public property, while Kitutu’s brother, Michael Naboya, faces a charge of receiving stolen property.
The case centres around the alleged misappropriation of 9,000 pre-painted iron sheets intended for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme.
The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), asserts that Kitutu and Abaho diverted these iron sheets from their intended purpose between June 2022 and January at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stores in Namanve, Mukono District.
The diversion is claimed to have benefited Kitutu personally and third parties.
The trial had been temporarily halted pending the determination of Kitutu’s application to dismiss the case. The minister contended that she was subjected to torture and mistreatment by security agents and police detectives during the investigation.
However, on November 28, Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga dismissed these claims, stating that the investigations were not tainted by gross abuse of Kitutu’s rights.
The judge’s ruling emphasized that there was no evidence of torture or cruel treatment during the investigations conducted by the Uganda Police, the Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs, and other state institutions.
The dismissal also rejected Kitutu’s assertion that media reporting violated her right to a fair hearing.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case has garnered significant attention, reflecting the broader societal concern about corruption within the public sector.
The rescheduled hearing in February 2024 is anticipated to provide a comprehensive examination of the allegations, shedding light on the details surrounding the loss of the iron sheets and the subsequent charges against Minister Kitutu and her co-accused.
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