The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has withdrawn corruption charges against three individuals who were co-accused alongside Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Gorreti Kitutu Kimono.
Geoffrey Sseremba, Deogratius Masagazi, and Tracy Atuhirwe, all officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, have been released from legal proceedings.
The charges were initially tied to the alleged misappropriation of Shillings 1.5 billion earmarked for peacekeeping efforts. Daisy Acio, an Inspectorate Officer from the IG, presented a letter before Acting Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate Abert Asiimwe, formally discontinuing the case against the trio. Consequently, Kitutu remains the sole defendant on the charge sheet.
According to the IG, between February and June 2022, during her tenure as Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Kitutu purportedly neglected various peace-building initiatives in the Karamoja sub-region, leading to a financial loss of Shillings 1.5 billion to the government.
The IG had accused the discharged individuals of approving cash disbursements totaling Shillings 2.2 billion to various Office of the Prime Minister staff, including Kitutu. Allegedly, these funds were obtained for personal gain after Atuhirwe’s alleged mismanagement and failure to account for them.
Responding to their exoneration, the formerly accused individuals expressed gratitude, with Sseremba notably displaying emotions, perhaps stemming from relief or frustration due to the ordeal of false accusation.
Kitutu’s legal representative, Jude Byamukama, requested a three-week adjournment citing her COVID-19 diagnosis and isolation since March 12th, 2024. Consequently, the case has been postponed to April 30th, 2024, for Kitutu’s prosecution, while her co-accused have been absolved of any further legal proceedings.
In reaction to the charges being dropped, Kitutu’s lawyer criticized the IG, alleging the misuse of legal mechanisms to target individuals for personal vendettas.
“We anticipated the IG’s move to retain their intended target on a new charge sheet, disregarding due process rights. It’s disheartening to witness such a critical anti-corruption entity being instrumentalized for personal agendas,” stated Byamukama.
Previously, Anti-Corruption Court Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga sanctioned Kitutu’s prosecution in a separate case file concerning the iron sheets scandal.
However, the Minister has appealed against the decision, contending that her ministerial role primarily involves policy formulation rather than direct implementation, and she maintains her lack of direct involvement in the technical aspects of the activities in question.
“I am not directly involved in technical matters; my role is to provide policy guidance. This should be evident to the IG, given her prior Cabinet experience,” remarked Kitutu.
