State Minister for Karamoja, Agnes Nandutu, has on Wednesday afternoon arrived at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo for questioning on allegations of fraud and causing loss of public property in the theft of thousands of metal roofing sheets meant for poor people in Karamoja Sub region.
Clad in her trademark kitenge dress, Nandutu arrived at around 11am, flashed a smile to journalists as she majestically walked through to the dock.
According to the charge sheet, during the month of June, at the office of the Prime Minister’s stores in Namanve and Kkola Cell Bulwanyi Parish in Mukono Municipality, Nandutu dealt with government property to wit 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets of Guage 28 by receiving and holding the said iron sheets which she had reason to believe were acquired as a result of loss of public property, an offence under section 10 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act 200 (as Amended).
Nandutu was on Tuesday detained at Kira Division Police Station after she handed herself in to the CID headquarters at Kibuli, Kampala after days of evading showing up for for further questioning, raising prospects that police would hunt down and arrest her.
Police said the Bududa Woman MP turned up at the CID headquarters on Tuesday morning in relation to the ongoing investigations about abuse of office and theft of iron sheets meant for the people of the resistive Karamoja Sub Region.
“The Hon. Minister of State handed herself over to the Police at CID Headquarters Kibuli, where she was assigned detectives to take her statement. She is currently being held at Kira Division Police station. The file has been submitted to the office of the DPP for further guidance and possible sanctioning. We thank Hon. Agnes Nandutu for handing herself over to the Police, upon learning of the allegations under investigation.This action has saved Police time and resources and it is worth emulating when in similar circumstances,” said the deputy police spokesperson, CP Polly Namaye.
Already two ministers; Mary Gorreti Kitutu, the minister of Karamoja and Amos Lugolobi, the state minister for finance (planning) have been charged at the Anti-Corruption Court over corruption and for causing government loss after iron sheets meant to be relief materials for the people of Karamoja were diverted and shared among several MPs, ministers and technocrats in government.
At least more than 20 ministers and about 35 legislators across the country are facing the heat over the Karamoja irons sheets, with government struggling to save face over the scandal. A number of senior ministers, including the Vice President Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, the speaker of Parliament Anita Among and the finance minister, Matia Kasaija are among the most senior ministers to have received the iron sheets.
Enanga said on Monday that police had already sent a number of files to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for sanctioning.