The State Minister for Finance Amos Lugoloobi has been arrested today (Friday) over relief iron sheets meant for the people of Karamoja. Lugoloobi is detained at Kira Division Police Station as he awaits to be produced in court on Monday.
The Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga confirmed Lugoloobi’s arrest saying this comes as a result of the on-going investigations into the alleged theft and diversion of Iron sheets meant for the Karamoja region.
“The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has sanctioned criminal charges against Hon. Amos Lugolobi, the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development. As a result, he has been arrested and detained at Kira Division, pending court,” said Enanga, adding that more details will follow later.
Lugoloobi reportedly received 600 iron sheets said to be part of relief materials that the government procured through the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) for vulnerable people in Karamoja Sub-region.
However, Lugoloobi in February this year admitted that he had used some of the G28 corrugated pre-painted iron sheets he received to roof a shed for his goats on his farm located in Misanga Village, Bbaale Sub-county in Kayunga District.
“I have realised that these iron sheets are evil and I no longer need them. Let me remove them from my goats’ shed so that I buy other iron sheets and re-roof it so that no one can lay claim that I owe them anything on my property,” he said after ordering workers to pluck off the sheets.
His arrest on Friday happened just hours after he returned part of the consignment he received to the Office the Prime Minister (OPM) stores in Namanve.
Karamoja Affairs Minister, Ms Mary Goretti Kitutu who’s accused of distributing the iron sheets to Lugoloobi and several other ministers, MPs and relatives was on Friday released on a sh10m cash bail after spending eight days at Luzira Prison.
Her younger brother, Michael Naboya Kitutu was also granted cash bail of sh3m during the Friday court proceedings.
Her sureties were each bonded at sh200m, not cash, while her brother’s sureties were each bonded at sh100m, also not cash.
A good section of Ugandans have commented about Kitutu and now Lugoloobi’s arrest saying enough is not yet done more so if the big wings in government in the likes of the Speaker, Anita Annet Among are not arrested and prosecuted too.
At around 9:00pm on Friday, a number of Ministers including Aidah Erios Nantaba, the woman MP for Kayunga district tried to bail out Lugoloobi from Kira Police saying his health condition would not stand the Police cell conditions.
However, by press time, their efforts had not yet yielded any positive results.