The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has withdrawn all charges against State Minister for Finance and Planning, Amos Lugoloobi, accused of diverting iron sheets intended for vulnerable communities in the Karamoja sub-region.
This decision brings to a close a legal battle that has spanned over two years.
Lugoloobi revealed that the prolonged case had been emotionally and mentally draining.
Speaking outside court, Lugoloobi hailed God for enabling him get over this challenging case which he says made him loose a lot of things.
“I’m so happy that I’m discharge today. I can now campaign very freely. I lost a lot during this process, my American visa was withdrawn. I’m supposed to be doing a lot of work annually with the UN as a Ministry of Planning, the UN assembly and the UN activities in New York i can no longer go there. My children could not be allowed to go to United States, you know. So it was a big problem. My Accounts in stanbic, we are forced to be closed. I had even lost my MTN line for this same reason,” he said
“So it was total disgrace. I can tell you, I have really suffered my Visa cards. You know, we are all canceled. And I want to thank the centenary bank who came to my rescue and eventually issued me a Visa card and equity bank,” he added.
The minister has been accused of misappropriating more than 700 pre-painted iron sheets, marked as Office of the Prime Minister, which were meant for households under the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme.
Lugoloobi admitted to using the materials to roof a goat shed on his farm in Kayunga District. Following public backlash, he apologized, dismantled the structure, and returned the iron sheets.
The controversy first erupted in 2023, when the public learned that several high-ranking officials had received iron sheets intended for underprivileged households in Karamoja.
Amid widespread public outrage and pressure from the police and President Museveni, some officials returned the materials.
Three cabinet ministers, Mary Goretti Kitutu, Amos Lugoloobi, and Agnes Nandutu were formally charged in court.
The saga attracted international attention, with even the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, coming under scrutiny by the UK government.
