________________

Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga has said that she will scrutinise the travel bail terms of finance state minister Amos Lugoloobi to ascertain whether he has met the conditions.

This was after the state attorney told the Anti-Corruption Court judge that this was the second time the minister was not appearing in court.

“Does his schedule determine the court’s agenda? I am not aware of what his bail terms are in terms of travel but I will look at and know how we will proceed with the hearing of the case,” the judge said Monday, May 6, 2024.

Kajuga added that “the court date is a priority. So, he will abide by the date the court sets.”

However, the magistrate rejected pleas by the state attorney to have a criminal summons issued against the minister over failure to appear in court.

Meanwhile, defence lawyer Tonny Tumukunde informed the court that Lugoloobi travelled to Washington, D.C., on state duties.

“We always inform the registrar whenever the minister is travelling abroad to represent the government,” he said. The Anti-Corruption Court registrar is Beatrice Stella Atingu.

Lugoloobi, who is also the Ntenjeru North MP, is battling two counts of dealing with suspect property, contrary to section 21A of the Anti-Corruption Act. The offence elicits a maximum sentence of seven- year-imprisonment, upon conviction.

Allegations

Prosecution alleges that Lugoloobi between July 14, 2022, and February 28, 2023, at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) stores Namanve in Mukono district and at different places in Matugga, Wakiso district and Ntenjeru North Constituency in Kayunga district, dealt with government property, namely, 400 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister”, having reason to believe that the said iron sheets were acquired as a result of loss of public property, an offence under Section 10 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act.

On the second count of dealing with suspect property, it is alleged that Lugoloobi between February 1, 2023, and March 16, 2023, at OPM stores Namanve, in the same places, dealt with suspect property, namely, 300 pre-painted iron sheets marked “Office of the Prime Minister”, having reason to believe that the said iron sheets were acquired as a result of public loss of property.

Lugoloobi reportedly received 600 iron sheets in two equal batches of 300. He is said to have received the first consignment from the OPM on July 15, 2022, under voucher number 8058. They were signed for by his assistant, John Allan Damulira, and transported using car registration number UBG430S.

The minister also received another batch of 300 sheets from the Karamoja affairs ministry on February 1, 2023, under voucher number 8,527.

Exclusive photos accessed by New Vision show the iron sheets in the minister’s cow shed clearly labelled from the inside: “Office of the Prime Minister-Uganda Kiboko pre-coated sheet PPG Gauge 28.”

On February 28, 2023, Lugoloobi decided to de-roof the structure. However, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit team raided his home on the same day and impounded the iron sheets.