Agnes Nandutu’s Iron Sheets Case Adjourned To January 2025

The hearing of a case involving former Karamoja Affairs state minister Agnes Nandutu, who is accused of diverting iron sheets meant for Karamoja sub-region, has been deferred to January 10, 2025.

The case was adjourned by Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga of the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court on Thursday (December 19) due to the parties’ unpreparedness to present oral submissions.

Chief State Attorney David Bisamunyu from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is prosecuting the case while lawyers Charles Nandaah Wamukoota, John Nalela, Evans Ochieng and Caleb Alaka are defending the suspects.

Nandutu, who is the Bududa district Woman MP, is battling charges of dealing with suspect property, contrary to Section 21A (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act. If found guilty, she will be sentenced to seven years in prison.

The legislator is accused of receiving and holding government property (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 2009.

Prosecutors have argued that this happened between the months of June and July 2022 at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stores in Namanve, and in Kkola Cell, Bulwanyi Parish in Mukono district.

The former minister is accused of dealing with 2,000 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28 marked ”Office of the Prime Minister”. Nandutu was not the only high-profile person sucked into the iron sheets scandal. Mary Goretti Kitutu, who was the Karamoja affairs minister at the time, was also implicated.

The Manafwa district Woman MP faces two counts of loss of public property and conspiracy to defraud at the Anti-Corruption Court together with her brother Micheal Kitutu Naboya and personal assistant Joshua Abaho.