The Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu has been denied bail by the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala.
The court on Wednesday presided over by the Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro has denied Kitutu bail on grounds that out of the four sureties she presented only one, MP Seth Wambede provided documents of his workplace and his source of income is known and his earnings too.
According to Aciro, the rest of the sureties presented by Kitutu did not meet the requirements such as presenting their bank statements or employment identity cards to demonstrate their capacity to pay the money in case the suspects abscond from the trial.
The sureties include her husband Michael Kitutu, African Union Diplomat Simon Mulongo, and family friend Joel Wandagwa.
Aciro asked the Minister to look for other sureties if she is still interested in seeking bail again.
She also said that although the land documents Kitutu presented were verified and found to be genuine, the laws provide that for one to be given bail, they must have at least two sureties.
The Minister and her brother Michael Naboya last week appeared before the Court and were remanded to jail until April 12th, 2023 for their respective roles in diverting 14,500 pre-painted iron sheets intended for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program.
The two are implicated alongside Joshua Abaho, the Senior Assistant Secretary Ministry of Karamoja Affairs Office of the Prime Minister who did not appear in court.
Dr Kitutu was charged with causing loss of public property and conspiracy to defraud. She could spend at least 10 years in prison if found guilty.
This comes a day after President Museveni denounced public officials named in the scam, saying they indulged in subversion, undermined the country’s security and should be charged with theft.
Writing in an April 3 letter to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, the President also gave notice of looming, though unspecified, political action he plans to take against whoever participated in the ”theft” of iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja.
The President also described the alleged theft as a form of corruption, warning that it has compromised security in Karamoja.
“If somebody, took mabaati (iron sheets) meant for the Karachuna (Karimojong warriors) and gave them to people or institutions in his or her constituency, this is political corruption,” he said, “It is like bribing voters so as to get political favours. In the case of the mabaati, it is at the expense of the Karachuna, but also at the expense of security of the country”.