The anti-corruption court has remanded the junior finance minister, Amos Lugoloobi, to Luzira Prison after he pleaded not guilty to two counts of dealing with suspect property contrary to Section 21(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act as amended
Minister Lugoloobi was arrested on Friday and detained at Kiira Road CPS after the Directorate of Public Prosecution sanctioned charges against him.
While appearing before the Anti-Corruption court presided over by the acting senior principal magistrate, Grade One Abert Asiimwe, Minister Lugoloobi pleaded not guilty and he was remanded to Luzira prison until April 20th, when his bail application will be heard.
The prosecution alleges that Lugoloobi, who is also the MP for Ntenjeru North constituency in Kayunga district, between July 14, 2022 and February 28, 2023, and February 1, 2023 and March 16, 2023, at the Office of the Prime Minister stores in Namanve and at different places in Matugga and Kayunga, dealt with government property, including 700 pre-painted iron sheets, having reason to believe that they were acquired as a result of a loss of public property under Section 10(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act as amended.
Minister Lugoloobi’s legal team had asked the court to grant him bail since he is on medication. They submitted a collection of medications obtained from Agakhan University Hospital as supporting evidence during the bail application. It’s said that the accused is a patient with a medical history of hypertension, asthma, and diabetes.
The prosecution team asked the court for sufficient time to allow them to verify relevant documents, including land titles presented by the accused as part of his sureties, and questioned the integrity of some of the sureties, including EALA MP James Kakooza. The prosecution also argued that the accused is a powerful leader who can influence certain decisions regarding his case.
Police arrested Minister Lugoloobi on Friday evening and detained him at Kira Division Police Station in Kampala after the DPP sanctioned criminal charges against him over the alleged theft and diversion of iron sheets meant for the Karamoja region.
Minister Lugoloobi’s legal team submitted a collection of medications obtained from Agakhan University Hospital as supporting evidence during the bail application claiming the accused is a patient with a medical history of hypertension, asthma, and diabetes,
Lugoloobi is the second minister to be arrested over the Karamoja iron sheets scandal after Karamoja Affairs Minister, Dr Mary Goretti Kitutu, who’s accused of distributing the iron sheets to several ministers, MPs, and her relatives. On Friday, she was released on bail after spending eight days in custody.