The Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Mary Gorreti Kitutu has has lost her bid to prevent prosecution by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) over alleged mismanagement of public funds.
The development comes after the Anticorruption Court on Monday rejected Kitutu’s plea to stop the IGG from prosecuting her. High Court Judge Jane Kajuga determined that there is a lack of cohesion between the two files.
“There is no way how it will impede in the other case of iron sheets. She will not be affected by the two separate cases and her right to fair hearing will not be violated,” Justice Kajuga said on Monday.
The troubled Minister filed a petition with the court, seeking an injunction to halt investigations conducted by IGG, Beti Kamya. These investigations were related to the alleged mismanagement of funds from the supplementary budget, released to the Office of the Prime Minister in the final year of 2021/2022.
According to Kitutu, the funds under investigation by the IGG were used to procure iron sheets, a matter that was scheduled for a hearing starting February 12 in the High Court Anti-Corruption Division.
Accusing the IGG of disregarding the rule of law, the minister argued that parallel investigations were being conducted. She pointed to the issuance of a search warrant in favor of specific individuals, allowing the police to enter her premises for inspection, which she deemed illegal.
In response however, Justice Kajuga noted that there was no connection between the accused parties in both cases and that they were not part of the same overall transaction.
The judge further urged that Kitutu did not appear in court, and there was no convincing evidence of potential prejudice against her.
According to the court, both the Attorney General and the IGG required one week to respond to Kitutu’s amended application.
Additionally, the prosecution, led by Jackie Amusugut, received communication from the IGG containing facts and information pertaining to Kitutu’s application.
Kitutu is jointly charged with her young brother, Naboya Kitutu, 52, a peasant at Situmi village, Situmi parish, Bukhawekha sub-county in Namisindwa district, and Abaho Joshua, the senior assistant secretary Ministry of Karamoja Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister.
Naboya is accused of receiving stolen property while Abaho is accused of corruption.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) slapped Kitutu with multiple charges loss of public property, corruption, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Prosecution states that the accused persons between the month of June 2022 and January 2023 at the Prime Minister’s store in Namanve, Mukono district caused loss of property in form of 9000 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28 and 5,500 pre-painted iron sheets (also gauge 28) by diverting them from the intended purpose of benefiting the Karamoja community empowerment programme to their own benefits, knowing that such acts would result into loss of the said public property.
