The tate Minister for Planning, Amos Lugolobi, has a case to answer for his role in the theft of relief items meant for vulnerable people of Karamoja.
Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga of the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court on November 27 trashed Mr Lugolobi desperate effort to stop his prosecution for the theft of iron sheets that were procured by the government as relief items.
"I have not found major contradictions in the prosecution's evidence, nor has the evidence tendered been manifestly unreliable. It cannot be discredited as worthless," Judge Okuo said in her ruling.
"The prosecution led evidence in support of each element of the offenses charged. I am convinced that the prosecution has tendered sufficient evidence to call for an explanation from the accused.
Mr Lugolobi, who was among the ministers indicted and later charged over the scandal, has been contestiong his prosecution by the anti-corruption court despite overwhelming evidence of him benefiting from the stolen relief items.
Mr Lugolobi, at whose farm in Kayunga the iron sheets were discovered used to roof a goat shed, was briefly jailed. While Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu lost their Cabinet seats over the scandal, Lugolobi somehow bounced back and it appeared like he would get away with it.
But Judge Okuo found otherwise.
"The accused is accordingly put on his defense," she ruled.
He is indicted with two counts of Dealing with Suspect Property under Section 21A of the Anti-Corruption Act.
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It is alleged in Count 1 that between July 14, 2022 and the February 28, 2023, at the Office of the Prime Minister stores at Namanve in Mukono District and at different locations in Matugga, Wakiso District, and Ntenjeru North Constituency in Kayunga District, Lugolobi dealt with government property.
Specifically, he is accuse of taking for personal use 400 pre-painted iron sheets marked "Office of the Prime Minister".
Judge Okuo said there was reason to believe that the said iron sheets were acquired as a result of Loss of Public Property, an offense under Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act.
In the second count, the prosecution alleged that Lugolobi took 300 pre-painted iron sheets marked "Office of the Prime Minister" to his farm in Ntenjeru, Kayunga.
Minister Lugolobi is among the officials both the UK and US sanctioned over the grand corruption.
