By Edward Anyoli
and Hillary Nsambu

The Anti-Corruption Court has ruled that the chief engineer in the Ministry of Works, Samson Bagonza, has a case to answer.

“I found that prosecution has made out a case for which he must be put in his defence,” Justice John Bosco Katutsi ruled on Wednesday.

This followed submissions by the Senior Principal State Attorney, James Odumbi, that the prosecution had closed its case.

Bagonza is charged with abuse of office and causing financial loss to the Government by allegedly approving additional construction works on the Entebbe highway between Zana and Kibuye during the CHOGM preparations.

The additional cost amounted to sh1.6b. The money, according to prosecution, was not approved by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority.

Katutsi, the head of the Anti-Corruption Court is presiding over the trial.

Odumbi and the Principal State Attorney, Andrew Odiit, are leading the prosecution, while MacDosman Kabega and Barnabas Tumusingize are representing Bagonza.

Earlier, Grace Akullo, a Police officer attached to the CID headquarters in Kampala, said she investigated the case against Bagonza.

Akullo said she visited part of the road that was under construction with other engineers from the ministry and the crime scenes officer and observed that the work was substandard.