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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 28600, member: 2262"] Amos Lugoloobi feels his 40-year reputation took a big hit because people say he stole 600 iron sheets from poor communities in Karamoja. He appeared with Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga for his third straight day. She decided earlier that he must answer charges about dealing with suspect property. He told everyone he gave back the iron sheets after President Yoweri Museveni ordered everyone to return them or pay cash instead. Lugoloobi said he never used some sheets, which made returning them easier. He felt totally shocked when he learned the sheets given to him and others—including officers, lawmakers, and ministers—were meant for someone else. News stories about him caused him mental stress. Lugoloobi had built his good name since 1986 when the current government started running Uganda. He expressed deep sadness about his reputation being damaged over just 600 iron sheets, even though he did what the President asked him to do. Lugoloobi has held many important jobs throughout his career. He served as investment director at the Uganda Investment Authority and deputy executive director of the National Planning Authority. Since 2011, he has represented Ntejeru North as their MP in Kayunga district. He ran the budget committee for eight years before becoming state minister in 2021. The University of Cuneo in Italy gave him an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy in Business Management last December. He plans to bring 14 witnesses to help prove his innocence. Lugoloobi says the iron sheets had no Karamoja markings, and he received them through proper channels. The government side, led by assistant director Josephine Namatovu, has already brought 11 witnesses against him. For his defense, Lugoloobi showed several letters from the Prime Minister's Office, including ones signed by Geoffrey Sseremba, which talked about requests for iron sheets. The court accepted these letters as evidence. According to Lugoloobi, Sseremba confirmed receiving the sheets and said they went out under affirmative action and disaster relief programs. Lugoloobi argued these letters never mentioned the sheets belonged to Karamoja specifically. He explained his job as Finance minister only involved giving out money, not handling relief items directly. He dismissed claims that iron sheets only went out after cabinet meetings as baseless rumors. The minister stated he never got sheets directly from former Karamoja minister Mary Goretti Kitutu Kimono. He never talked with her about distributing sheets, either. The case will continue on May 27, 2025, when prosecutors will ask him more questions. His witnesses will testify for him later. The scandal involves 700 pre-painted iron sheets marked "Office of the Prime Minister" which prosecutors claim Lugoloobi got in two batches - 400 sheets between July 2022 and February 2023, and 300 more sheets between February and March 2023. Investigators found some sheets covering an animal shed, but someone removed them when questions started. The court decided earlier that evidence from 11 government witnesses, including a church reverend, proved enough to make Lugoloobi answer these charges. On January 10, 2025, this same court found that former state minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu must also answer similar charges about taking iron sheets meant for poor people in Karamoja. Her defense starts soon. Three ministers face charges in this iron sheets scandal - Lugoloobi, Nandutu, and former cabinet minister Mary Goretti Kitutu. Kitutu's trial slowed down because she claimed someone tortured her during custody. The Inspector General accuses Kitutu of wasting 1.5 billion Shillings by failing to run peace-building activities in Karamoja between February and June 2022. DPP Jane Frances Abodo revealed last June that police and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit sent 40 case files about this scandal, but only three cases went to court because others lacked evidence. The DPP mentioned some politicians got bad advice from their helpers and never knew where the iron sheets came from. Even though big officials like Vice President Jessica Alupo and parliament speaker Anita Annet Among appeared connected to this scandal, many avoided charges completely. [/QUOTE]

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