A High Court judge has conducted a site visit to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headquarters in Kibuli as part of an ongoing case involving former Karamoja Affairs State Minister Agnes Nandutu. The visit, which took place on Tuesday, July 31, 2024, aimed to verify the number and condition of iron sheets central to the case.
Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, who is overseeing the case, was accompanied by prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), defence attorneys, Nandutu herself, and senior police officer Winfred Nakatudde.
The case involves allegations that Nandutu misappropriated iron sheets intended for relief efforts in the Karamoja region. According to Nakatudde, who is attached to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), of the 2000 iron sheets initially provided to Nandutu, only 1617 were recovered from her farm in Mukono district. The remaining 383 iron sheets are reportedly unaccounted for.
Nakatudde explained that Nandutu had claimed the iron sheets were relief supplies for landslide victims in Bududa district. Nakatudde’s testimony detailed that Evelyn Hilda Bazibu, who received the iron sheets on behalf of Nandutu, collected them from the Office of the Prime Minister’s stores in Namanve, Mukono district.
The prosecution, led by Chief State Attorneys David Bisamunyu and Innocent Aleto, accuses Nandutu of handling the iron sheets knowing they were possibly acquired through fraudulent means. Nandutu faces charges under Section 21A (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, which could result in a seven-year prison sentence if she is convicted.
Defence lawyers, including Charles Nandaah Wamukoota, John Nalela, Evans Ochieng, and Caleb Alaka, are scheduled to cross-examine Nakatudde on August 9, 2024. The case continues as the court seeks to clarify the whereabouts of the missing iron sheets and the extent of Nandutu’s involvement.
