By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A second federal minister was on Monday charged to court for corruption-related offences, involving a graft in diversion of roofing sheets that was meant to be distributed to vulnerable persons.
During his appearance in a court in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Amos Lugoloobi, the state Minister for Finance in charge of planning, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Minister is accused of roofing his livestock house with the diverted government property.
This comes barely a week after another minister, Mary Goretti Kitutu was charged to court in graft-related offences.
No fewer than 22 officials of government are linked to the scandal, including the vice president, the parliamentary speaker, the prime minister and government ministers.
There are indications that more officials will appear in court this week.
President Yoweri Museveni, whose government is often accused of lacking the political will to stem corruption, has ordered detectives to investigate the case and indict those deemed responsible for diverting thousands of metallic roofing sheets that had been appropriated for people in the remote region of Karamoja.
The scandal became a public knowledge in February after the local New Vision newspaper reported that security officials in eastern Uganda had intercepted government-branded iron sheets being sold by relatives of Kitutu, the minister in charge of Karamoja.
According to the New Vision’s subsequent reporting, thousands of iron sheets have been systematically shared among a range of government officials since June.
Lugoloobi used his share to give his goat house a befitting look as the vulnerable people it was meant for wallow without shelter.
“The charges are highly welcome as we have been having a culture of impunity because (the suspects) have godfathers in the system,” said Marlon Agaba, executive director of the pressure group Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda.
“We have known government officials to steal billions of shillings, not stealing iron sheets from the poor.”
