Police on Friday evening confirmed they had arrested finance state minister for planning Amos Lugoloobi, saying he was detained at Kira Division Police Station.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said Lugoloobi was arrested after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) sanctioned charges against him.

"Following the ongoing investigations into the alleged theft and diversion of iron sheets meant for the Karamoja region, the office of the ODPP has sanctioned criminal charges against Lugoloobi," said Enanga.

He said the minister is being detained pending a court appearance this coming Monday.

Lugoloobi is one of the ministers who appeared on the list of people that reportedly received the iron sheets intended for Karamoja.

He is said to have received 600 G28 corrugated pre-painted iron sheets in a scandal that has rocked the nation.

Earlier, in February, Lugoloobi told New Vision that he had used some of the iron sheets received from the Office of the Prime Minister to roof an animal shed at his farm in Misanga village, Bbale sub-county, Kayunga district.

He later removed the roofing.

Lugoolobi is the second minister to be arrested over the iron sheets scandal.

He was arrested the same day fellow minister Mary Goretti Kitutu (for Karamoja affairs) was granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Court after spending eight days in prison.

Kitutu was also detained at Kira Division Police Station last week, before she was arraigned in court on charges of corruption.

Related: Minister Kitutu granted bail in iron sheets case

The 61-year-old politician, who is also the Manafwa district Woman MP, is accused of diverting iron sheets meant for the people of Karamoja.

After declining to have the minister released mid-this week over unsubstantial sureties, Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro on Friday granted Kitutu bail after she presented a fresh set of sureties, this time deemed substantial.

Her brother Michael Naboya Kitutu, accused of receiving stolen property according to the charge sheet, was also granted bail after his two sureties were found to be substantial.

Kitutu is battling charges of loss of public property, contrary to Section 10 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009 and conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Section 309 of the Penal Code Act.

She denied the offences, which elicits a 10-year jail term on conviction.

The embattled minister is facing the charges alongside her personal assistant Joshua Abaho, who is accused of corruption and has yet to appear in court.

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