The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo has directed the trial of Karamoja Minister Mary Gorreth Kitutu before the High Court Anti-Corruption Division on charges relating to the alleged theft of Karamoja iron sheets.
The iron sheets were meant to benefit vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region.
The committal papers sending Kitutu, her brother Micheal Naboya, and her personal secretary Joshua Abaho to the division’s High Court to await trial at the convenient session have been signed by Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro.
Evidence contained in the committal papers shows that in 2021, a supplementary budget of Shs39.9 billion was approved to cater for the disarmament process and peace-building initiatives including buying goats and iron sheets for the reformed youths and other vulnerable groups in Karamoja.
That it was on June 8, 2022, when minister Kitutu’s Secretary, Joshua Abaho wrote a memo to the undersecretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) for release of 10000 pieces of iron sheets to be used at the official distribution launch in Moroto by the President but instead, only 1000 pieces were taken to Moroto, leaving a balance of 9000 iron sheets.
That Kitutu and Abaho started distributing the remaining iron sheets to unintended beneficiaries including MPs, ministers, and their relatives.
Prosecution further alleges that in February 2023, OPM received intelligence about governement Iron sheets that were being sold on open market in Namisindwa district, prompting the state to launch investigations.
The findings suggest that thousands of iron sheets were given to unintended beneficiaries and many recoveries were made from Minister Kitutu’s mother’s home whereas the rest were got from her nephew’s hardware shop and from her brother Naboya.
According to the DPP, the state will adduce evidence at the trial that the above categories of people were not the actual beneficiaries of the Iron sheet programme, henceforth the minister and her secretary caused a loss of public property.
The minister’s brother, Micheal Naboya Kitutu is charged with receiving 100 pieces of stolen iron sheets.
The indictment also lists a series of documents and exhibits to be relied on by the prosecution including the minister’s appointment letter of July 8, 2021 , requisitions send delivery notes among others.
