The Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, has dismissed reports claiming that files of prominent people involved in the iron sheets investigation are getting lost from her office.
While appearing before Parliament’s human rights committee on Wednesday, Abodo spoke of her shock upon seeing what she termed as a “screaming” headline in a news publication saying that files were going missing.
The committee is chaired by West Budama North East MP Fox Odoi.
“Actually, I was so shocked to see a screaming headline: files disappearing,” said Abodo.
“I am not aware of any files disappearing in the Office of the DPP. I am not aware. At least I left [office] about an hour ago and I am not aware of any files…I was also shocked to see the headline.”
Odoi also asked Abodo to comment on the issue of delayed investigation of files.
The DPP stated that at times, evidence needed is obtained far from Kampala and may require officers to travel to the scene of the reported crime.
She said investigations take a long time to avoid presenting files in court without conclusive evidence or with half-baked evidence.
“We have to go to the last person,” said Abodo.
“If the MP or the minister said ‘I gave it to the CAO [Chief Administrative Officer]’, we go to the CAO. The CAO says ‘I supplied it to four schools’, we go to those four schools. If the four schools say ‘No, we gave it out and we built with teachers’ houses’ we have to go to those teachers’ houses, because as I said, we follow the iron sheets and that is why it is taking a little long.”