Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu Kimono has challenged the Inspectorate General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya of lawlessness and irrationality after she was issued with fresh criminal summons over causing a loss of Shs 1.5 billion.
Grade one magistrate Christopher Opit summoned Kitutu to appear before the Anti-Corruption court on February 29 over her alleged failure to perform her duties between February and June 2022 as minister for Karamoja Affairs well knowing or having reason to believe that her omission would cause financial loss and indeed caused loss of Shs 1,555,365,000 to the government of Uganda.
In a statement, Kitutu told court that she has been sick for nearly two weeks and still maintained her innocence, saying she is not an accounting officer to be held accountable for the loss of funds.
“Now, regarding this matter of allegedly causing a financial loss, the public should know that I have never written any request for funds to go to the field to conduct peace-building activities in Karamoja,” says Kitutu.
“I am not a technical person and do not therefore get involved in the technical aspects of this role. My role as a minister is to give policy guidance and not to get directly involved in implementation of activities. I am sure this is well known to the IGG who herself was a cabinet minister less than two years ago,” added Kitutu.
Kitutu reminded Kamya about her own 2022 case against the attorney general where she challenged the recommendations of the public accounts committee of parliament on commissions, statutory authorities, and state enterprises (Cosase), “whose ruling was delivered on 31st May 2023, the court quashed a parliamentary recommendation that the Honourable Beti be investigated in respect to participation in commencement of a Shs 10.6 billion for allegedly initiating an irregular supplementary budget.”
Kitutu’s lawyer Jude Byamukama said the IGG therefore knows quite well, or ought to know the importance of due process, avoiding biased investigations and the role of courts in protecting all individuals against lawlessness by government agencies.
“I did not withdraw any funds and have never requisitioned for funds for such purpose,” Kitutu says. “I challenge the IGG to publicize any such requests from me. They do not exist in any case, how does the failure to allegedly perform activities result into loss of government funds? The public should be able to see through this charade of lawlessness and irrationality.”
This is the second file being levied against Kitutu in less than a year, the first one being where she is implicated in the diversion of iron sheets in OPM whose trial is starting next month. Kitutu has since challenged the summons issued against her by the IGG, which have now resulted in these criminal summons. The ruling is expected on January 31.
Kitutu is being charged alongside secretary/accounting officer Geoffrey Sseremba, under secretary/head of department Deogratius Masagazi, and pacification and development programme accountant, Tracy Atuhirwe – all from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). The summons follows the amendment of charges by the IGG against seven OPM officials – dropping five of them and maintaining two including Sseremba and Masagazi.
The amended charge sheet tendered before the court by prosecutors; Diana Nantabazi and William Moses Ntumwa has now introduced Kitutu and Atuhirwe. Sseremba and Masagazi who were present in court have been charged afresh with corruption and they maintained their previous plea of not guilty.