THE MINISTERS TOOK SHEETS BUT NEITHER REQUESTED NOR RECEIVED IN PERSON
When Maria Goreti Kitutu the minister for Karamoja affairs was arrested for theft of iron sheets, there was an alleged dilemma on how to proceed with the rest of the looting ministers.
Apparently, the ministers were smart in their looting tactics as none of them went to personally sign and collect the iron sheets. They instead sent their personal assistants to collect the loot.
And because matters of law require evidence, the probe team allegedly faced a challenge of linking the thugs to the crime and scene. And yet, according to Inspectors, the investigators had combed all records to find out any evidence that the looters actually requested for these sheets but nothing of such a request was allegedly found, save for a one allegedly written by 1st deputy premier Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga.
It was stated that among all the ministers, it was only Kadaga who placed a request for sheets on grounds that they were to help contain a situation back in Kamuli following a disastrous storm. She allegedly penned a letter to her boss Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja requesting her for assistance of mabaati.
“Kadaga wrote directly to Nabbanja not even to disaster minister Hillary Obalker Onek requesting for mabaati to help people in Kamuli due to disaster. The PM received the letter and wrote back to her saying, it will be handled. She finally got iron sheets and she never bothered to know the real source. Her only job was to officially request. The investigators have only found one such a request and the rest got without a formal request” says an Inspector. With majority having gotten the sheets without requesting, the probe team therefore thinks the ministers can actually ruin governmnent of its items intended for wanainchi as they can share everything among themselves.
We’re told when Kadaga finally got sheets, she never asked their source so long as they came from OPM and that’s how she landed into this saga.
Our Inspectors said that when investigators briefed the president whom they met on Good Friday at State House, about what they had found on the ground, the president became furious at the sophisticated style his ministers had turned into when it came to stealing public resources.
“Excellency, we have managed to cage Kitutu because she was the direct minister. But the rest, we need your assistance. The evidence is lacking even when it’s true they shared the iron sheets. They never requested neither did they sign for them but sent their aides” an inspector quoted one of the Investigators led by CID boss Lt. Col. Tom Magambo as telling CiC at State House.
At this juncture, the General from Rwakitura opened his eyes widely and shook his head in what seemed to be a meditation on how he needed to handle the matter.
“So, how do you want me to assist you to get this evidence from those who stole the sheets?” Museveni asked to which the Magambo team responded saying ‘Sir, we would like you to write a letter instructing whoever took the sheets to return them. This is the only way we shall confirm who took and how many they took as evidence”
In response, Gen. Museveni told them that he was okay with that since these ministers had subverted the NRM principles and also broke the oath of allegiance.
“Even if it was my family member, as long as he or she was involved, don’t spare that person. Surely, you can’t steal an elephant and also go back to steal the (remaining) rabbit! This is greed” Gen. Museveni furiously said in what seemed to be a statement to mean that the ministers had stolen for a long time but it was unfair for them to go and also steal mere iron sheets meant for the poor.
With such a deal having been coined, that’s how the president the following day penned a hot letter to Rt. Hon. Nabbanja asking her to tell ministers who had shared the loot to return the sheets.
The deal indeed worked as all ministers one by one started to bring back the sheets including Rt. Hon. Anita Among the speaker of parliament who started the ‘return party’!
Upon returning the sheets, the detectives instead used them as exhibits hence closing the hitherto initial gap they had faced prior to the meeting with Jjajja Museveni allegedly held two days to Easter!
That’s how all ministers were finally cornered save for a few (names withheld) who survived!
We’re told all ministers who return the sheets are supposed to append their signature on the slip in their own handwriting to confirm that they are the ones who had ‘stolen’.
“The president’s letter has helped solve issues as evidence is now clear. Otherwise, the way it was initially, the state was bound to lose this case and there was a likelihood that court was going to declare a mistrial but now, things are clear” says an Inspector.
WHY POLICE IS ARRESTING MINISTERS ONE AT AGO
Meanwhile, secrets as to why ministers who stole iron sheets are being arrested one at ago have exclusively emerged.
We have learnt that a high level security decision was allegedly taken to have one suspect arrested, charged and remanded at ago before another ‘goon’ is arrested.
The reason for this is based on an Intel that the sheets’ icons had allegedly plotted to cause commotion at the Anti corruption court and within the city by ferrying massive numbers in order to force the court to release them on bail immediately.
“Their plan was to cause violent scenes not only at court but also in the city center. They wanted to bring as many of their supporters as possible so that they intimidate the court and be granted bail immediately. That’s why a decision was taken that we arrest one suspect at ago and remand him or her before another one is arrested” says an Inspector.
Indeed since the arrests started, police has caged three ministers but each is brought on the date the other is remanded. They started with Maria Goreti Kitutu who spent eight days in cells before Amos Lugoloobi was arrested hours after Kitutu had been granted bail.
With Lugoloobi having been remanded, another suspect Agnes Nandutu was yesterday caged and it is highly expected that four other ministers including lands minister Judith Nabakooba, Matia Kasaija, Oboth Jacob and Denis Hamson Obua need to watch their back as inspectors said their files are already with the CID team after being sanctioned by the DPP.
The quartet is part of the lot that has since returned sheets.
The ministers according to Inspectors are supposed to be netted soon unless Eid Mubarak falls tomorrow. If it doesn’t, the blue eyed boys of the president are going to pick them up or next week Monday. Each of the arrested ministers is expected (as a norm) to spend a night with police as preparations to take them to court will be handled.
Among the three already charged ministers, only Agnes Nandutu has been commited for trial in the High Court because according to Inspectors, her loot was massive; that when translated into monetary value, it exceeds the capacity of the Chief Magistrate’s court. The chief magistrate can only try a case below Shs50m but according to Inspectors, Nandutu’s 2000 pieces of sheets are valued at Shs200m a figure triable by High Court. The other ministers who got 300-600 sheets are said to remain in Chief Magistrate’s court unless otherwise.
It should be recalled that Lt. Col. Tom Magambo is a former teacher, a trained intelligence officer from Israel and Cuba and above all, personally known to Gen. Museveni since he is a son to one of the fierce bush war comrades in Luweero. He’s working with other blue eyed boys including Col. Isoke who heads the State House Anti-Graft Unit and a team from IGG’s office! The president has vested all his trust in this team to bring back sanity among his officials in order to ensure proper service delivery. Watch this space for a brief on other shocking files about these ministers which are before Jjajja Museveni.
