Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Karamoja Affairs, Joshua Abaho, has been granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala. Abaho is accused of conspiring with his boss, Mary Gorreti Kitutu, to defraud the government of its iron sheets.
Abaho was granted cash bail of eight million shillings, and each of his five sureties was asked to execute a non-cash bond of 150 million shillings. The sureties included Abaho's brother, Kenneth Mugumya Tibeijuka, who is an Assistant Commissioner in the Ministry of Education, as well as his cousin and Assistant Commissioner of the Ministry of Works and Transport, Johnson Musinguzi.
The other sureties were Geoffrey Ndiwalana, the Engineer for Makindye Sabagabo Municipal Council; Simon Peter Kasyate, Abaho's nephew and Deputy Director of Public and Corporate Affairs at Kampala Capital City Authority; and Simon Tumwesigye Karokora, Abaho's cousin and Customs Supervisor at Uganda Revenue Authority.
The prosecution had initially rejected Kasyate as a surety, arguing that he could not produce his elder to court as and when needed. However, Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro found all the sureties to be substantial.
Abaho was charged last week in connection with a case in which Kitutu and her brother Michael Naboya Kitutu were also charged. The court heard that Abaho had diverted 5,500 iron sheets of gauge 28 belonging to the state, which were intended for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme.
The prosecution alleges that Abaho diverted the iron sheets for purposes unrelated to those for which they were intended and for the benefit of third parties. Abaho is also accused of conspiring with Kitutu to defraud beneficiaries of the Karamoja Community Empowerment Program of 9,000 pre-painted iron sheets of Gauge 28.
Abaho denies the charges against him, and his lawyers argued that the charges were bailable by the Anti-Corruption Court. The prosecution had opposed his release on bail, arguing that his sureties had not demonstrated the financial muscle to refund the monies involved in the case should he abscond from trial.
Abaho's bail now leaves State Minister for Karamoja Affairs Agnes Nandutu on remand alone. Kitutu, Naboya, and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning Amos Lugoloobi were also charged previously but have since been granted bail.
