The Minister of State for the Elderly, Mr Gidudu Mafabi, is anticipated to lead a new group of three individuals to stand surety for embattled Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu this morning, a week after her arrest and remand.
Today, the Anti-Corruption Court will decide whether Ms Kitutu is granted bail. At two previous hearings, the court denied her bail application, among other reasons, because some of the sureties she proposed did not satisfy the court’s requirements. Also, read Minister Kitutu To Return Back To Court Over Iron Sheets
“Today, the Minister for the Elderly has agreed to stand surety for a fellow minister.” “Despite the court requiring only one more substantial surety, the attorneys are not taking any chances with only two sureties; they have added two more MPs, bringing the total to four,” a source familiar with Kitutu’s prosecution said last night.
Ms Kitutu, who faces two counts of causing loss of public property and one count of conspiracy to defraud for her role in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal, is believed to have lined up two additional members of parliament to serve as sureties. The unnamed MPs also originate from Ms. Kitutu’s home region in the Elgon Sub-region, like Mr Mafabi.
Ms Kitutu was returned to Luzira prison Wednesday evening after the Anti-Corruption Court determined that three of the four sureties presented, including her spouse Micheal George Kitutu, were insufficiently substantial. Chief Magistrate Joan Aciro observed that the three sureties failed to demonstrate the financial capacity to post the required court bond in the event that the minister skipped bail and escaped the court’s jurisdiction.
Seth Wambede, a member of parliament for the Mbale City North Division, was the only person deemed to have demonstrated financial capacity.
Wednesday’s rejections included the minister’s spouse, Mr Simon Mulongo, a former member of parliament and current diplomat with the African Union, and Dr Joel Wadawa, a plastic surgeon at Kiruddu Hospital. “Although the court finds the third surety to be substantial (MP Wambede), it denies bail to the applicant (minister Kitutu) because it requires at least two sureties.” Ms Aciro ruled on Wednesday that the applicant must return to the drawing board and locate additional sureties to supplement the one that the court has deemed substantial.
The court is also anticipated to rule on the bail application of Mr Michael Naboya Kitutu, the minister’s younger brother who is also being held on remand in connection with the same Karamoja iron sheets scandal. Also, read Kitutu Not Given VIP Treatment in Luzira Prison.
