The State Minister for Planning under the Finance Ministry Amos Lugoloobi has been remanded to Luzira prison, over the Karamoja iron sheets scandal where more than 14,500 pieces of iron sheets under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program were diverted to ineligible third parties including cabinet ministers, government officials and ministers.
Lugolobi who allegedly decided to use the diverted iron sheets to roof his animals shed was arrested on Friday night after showing up at the criminal investigations department (CID) headquarters in Kibuli to record a statement.
Lugoloobi has been denied bail by the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo. The minister denied charges of dealing in suspected stolen property in relation to the Karamoja iron sheets.
Lugoloobi has been remanded to Luzira prison until April 20, 2023, as court studies the party’s submissions presented for his bail application. The minister through his lawyers had applied for bail on grounds of ill health.
The minister has been reportedly snubbing CID summons, claiming that he is out of the country on official duties whereas not.
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Lugolobi becomes the second minister to be arrested over the Karamoja iron sheets scandal after Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu was arrested and spent two days in police custody before she was produced before the Anti Corruption court on April 6 alongside her brother Michael Naboya Kitutu on six charges related to causing loss of property and conspiracy to defraud the government of Uganda.
Kitutu and her brother Naboya were earlier granted bail by the Anti-Corruption court and will return on April 27 for the prosecution to inform court about the status of investigations. They each spent eight days in Luzira prison on remand. Court also further renewed criminal summons against Joshua Abaho, the senior assistant secretary ministry of Karamoja Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister.
It should be remembered that President Yoweri Museveni on April 3 wrote to Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja saying those who were involved in the iron sheets scandal made a political mistake, promising to take political action. Museveni also advised those who irregularly received the iron sheets to return them.
Who is Amos Lugolobi?
Amos Lugoloobi is the State Minister for Finance and Planning. He is also a representative member for Ntenjeru North, Kayunga District, in Uganda’s 11th Parliament.
Lugoloobi was born on June 21, 1961, in Kayunga District. He is an Anglican by faith.
He is married to Evelyne Nakimera, a daughter to late Bwogi (father), former UTV director and Mary Bwogi (mother).
He graduated from Makerere University with a bachelor’s in economics and the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute with a master’s in business administration (ESAMI).
He was successfully elected as the representative for Ntenjeru North, Kayunga District in the 2021 General elections.
