Former State minister for Karamoja Agnes Nandutu has been barred from addressing journalists at Office of the Prime Minister.But not to be defeated, Nandutu, who is also the Bududa District Woman MP, ran to Parliament.Nandutu, a former journalist, had scheduled a news briefing at OPM for 11am following the Cabinet Reshuffle on Thursday evening.
Nandutu, who is facing corruption and abuse of office-related charges over her involvement in the theft of iron sheets for Karimojong, was replaced in Cabinet with Florence Nambozo Wamala.
“Nandutu is no longer a minister,” security at the Twin Towers (OPM office) told journalists who insisted they had a scheduled news briefing.
Security attached to Twin Towers that is manned by Special Forces Command soldiers was not allowing anyone who identified as a journalist beyond the checkpoint. Journalists waited for close to two hours before Nandutu’s official vehicle was driven in. But there was no sign of the former minister as it appears she had been warned off the OPM premises if she wanted to speak to the media.
Addressing journalist at Parliament, Nandutu asked for pardon from President Museveni and pledged to support the NRM manifesto from the backbench. On the earlier events at OPM, she told our reporter that she had not informed security of the scheduled presser and that is why they acted in that manner.
Nandutu lost her office as state minister for Karamoja together with her former senior Mary Gorreti Kitutu.
The Anti Corruption Court in 2023 committed Nandutu to High Court for trial over her role in the swindling of iron sheets meant for Karamoja.In the evidence presented before the court on, the Director of Public Prosecutions detailed how Nandutu got sulked into the scandal that has seen over 10 senior government officials implicated.
According to the indictment, on March, 23, 2023, when interviewed, Nandutu admitted to everything and directed police to her farm in Mukono to recover the 2000 iron sheets. The evidence however says that at the farm, only 1617 iron sheets were recovered and the remaining 383 up to now are nowhere to be seen and that Nandutu has failed to account for them.
The indictment for Nandutu however doesnt clearly show how the iron sheets that had been taken to Moroto for the launch officiated by President Museveni later found their way at the OPM stores in Namanve.Nandutu was last year charged with dealing with suspect property contrary to section 21a(1) of the Anti Corruption Act 2009 was read for her.
Under the charge, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) contends that during the month of June 2022, at the OPM stores Namanve, Mukono District and Kkola cell , Bulwanyi Parish in Mukono district, the minister dealt with 2000 pre-painted iron sheets of gauge 28 by receiving and holding the said iron sheets which she had reason to believe were acquired as a result of lose of public property , an offence under section 10(1) of the Anti Corruption Act 2009.However, Nandutu denied the charges before being remanded to Luzira up to May, 3 2023.
