By The Insight Post Uganda
Kampala-Uganda
After her previous sureties were rejected by Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro, Mary Gorreti Kitutu, the Minister in charge of Karamoja Affairs, was granted cash bail of 10 Million Shillings by the Anti-Corruption Court in Uganda.
On Friday, Kitutu’s lawyers, Michael Wamasebu, Jude Byamukama, and John Musiime, presented new sureties who provided identification documents, business registrations, bank statements, and introduction letters from their respective chairpersons.
The sureties included Dominic Gidudu Mafabi, the State Minister representing the Elderly People and MP Elderly for Eastern Region, and Godfrey Wakili, the National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement and MP for Butiru County in Manafwa District.
Dr. John Seith Magolo, the MP for Bugonkho County in Mbale District, Gregory Mafabi, a businessman and proprietor of Palm Hotel and Kayijo Hotel, and Peter Werike, the MP for Bubulo West, were also presented as sureties for Mary Gorreti Kitutu.
The State Attorney, Jonathan Muwaganya, had no objections to the presented sureties and required documents.
However, he requested that strict bail terms be imposed in the event that Kitutu is granted bail. Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro found the sureties to be substantial and granted Kitutu cash bail of Ugx10 million and Ugx200 million, not cash.
Michael Naboya Kitutu, who is the co-accused and brother of Mary Gorreti Kitutu, was also granted bail of Ugx3 million cash. His sureties included the former RDC for Bugiri District and the Bukawekha Sub-county LCIII Chairperson, who were bonded Ugx100 million not in cash.
Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro adjourned the case to April 27th for an update on the status of the investigation.
On Wednesday, Mary Gorreti Kitutu was denied bail due to the lack of substantial sureties. They could not provide evidence of employment to demonstrate their financial capability to fulfil their duties as sureties.
Last week, Mary Gorreti Kitutu was charged with causing the loss of public property by diverting 14,500 pieces of iron sheets that were intended to benefit the people of Karamoja under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program.
In February, the public was rocked by the iron sheets scandal, revealing that ministers and MPs had reportedly taken advantage of relief items intended for Karamoja.
The scandal implicated high-ranking government officials, and the items had been budgeted for in a Ugx39bn supplementary bill passed by Parliament in December 2021.
Of that budget, Ugx22bn was allotted to purchase goats while Shs5b was earmarked for the procurement of 100,000 iron sheets.
However, instead of distributing the iron sheets to the intended recipients, Kitutu allegedly diverted 14,500 of them to her Cabinet colleagues and several MPs.
END
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