Joshua Abaho, the Senior Assistant Secretary in Charge of Karamoja Affairs, has been granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala in the amount of eight million shillings. Abaho is charged with planning to cheat the government of its iron sheets along with her employer, Mary Gorreti Kitutu.
A non-cash bond for 150 million shillings was also required from each of his five sureties on Tuesday in court presided over by Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro.
The sureties are Geoffrey Ndiwalana, an engineer for Makindye Sabagabo Municipal Council; Kenneth Mugumya Tibeijuka, an assistant commissioner in the Ministry of Education; and his elder brother, Johnson Musinguzi, a cousin and assistant commissioner in the Ministry of Works and Transportation.
Others include Simon Tumwesigye Karokora, his cousin, who also works as the customs supervisor at the Uganda Revenue Authority, and Simon Peter Kasyate, his nephew, who is also the Deputy Director of Public and Corporate Affairs at the Kampala Capital City Authority.
The nephew, whom the prosecution had rejected on the grounds that he couldn’t bring his elder to court as and when necessary, was among those who Aciro judged to be significant.
Following the decision, Jonathan Muwaganya’s prosecution informed the court that the case’s investigations were not complete and requested a hearing date.
The matter was postponed until June 1 so that Abaho, Minister Kitutu, and Naboya could all appear in court again.
When the case involving Kitutu and her brother, Michael Naboya Kitutu, was brought back before the court for mention last week, Abaho was accused.
The court was informed that Abaho diverted 5,500 gauge 28 iron sheets belonging to the state during the month of January 2023 while working as Senior Assistant Secretary for the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Stores in Namanve, Mukono District.
The prosecution claims that although the iron sheets were intended for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program, he diverted them to serve other people’s interests as well as his own.
Abaho obtained the iron sheets as a result of his position for purposes of custody and distribution under the aforementioned program, the prosecution claims.
Abaho is also accused of conspiring with his supervisor, Kitutu, between June 2022 and January 2023 to cheat Karamoja Community Empowerment Program beneficiaries of 9,000 gauge 28 pre-painted iron sheets.
Abaho, however, refuted the allegations and requested release on bail through counsel led by Paul Kutesa on the grounds that he was innocent and that the Anti-Corruption Court might grant it.
However, the prosecution, which was led by Jonathan Muwaganya and David Bisamunyu, argued that Abaho should not be granted bail because his sureties had not shown that they had the means to pay back the money invested in this case should he dare flee the scene of the crime.
Agnes Nandutu, the state minister for Karamoja affairs, is currently the only person detained on remand following Abaho’s release on bail.
Amos Lugoloobi, the minister for finance and economic planning, Minister Kitutu, and her brother Naboya are the other individuals who were previously accused but have subsequently been given bail.
