By Gladys Mukisa. Tuesday 11 November, 2025.
State minister for finance, planning and economic development Amos Lugoloobi was on Tuesday declared a freeman from the charges relating to the steeling iron sheets for the people of Karamoja, that he has faced since June 2023.
This after Court stopped the proceedings under which he has been facing prosecution along with other fellow dropped ministers Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu for Karamoja affairs, based on the legal notice by the state, discontinuing the case.
The Anti-Corruption Court judge Jane Kajuga confirmed in her ruling that they could not proceed further with the case following the presentation of nolle prosequi from state lawyer by the way of termination of the proceedings.
Nolle prosequi is a legal notice indicating the state’s intention to discontinue prosecution.
Justice Kajuga observed that, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has authority under Article 120 of the constitution to determine whether to continue or withdrawal criminal charges.
It is against that backdrop that she discharged Lugoloobi, rendering him a freeman. “Mr. Lugoloobi you are now a freeman” judge Kajuga declared. She also directed that all funds deposited as bail with any certificate of title or other sureties lodged by the minister, be refunded.
Lugoloobi had been arrested and slapped with charges of dealing with suspect’s property, when he allegedly diverted over 700 iron sheets meant for vulnerable communities in Karamoja.
Several senior government officials including among others, the prime minister Robinna Nabbanja, speaker Anita Among and finance minister Matia Kasaijja were implicated in what came to be famously known as the “Mabaati” scandal, literally to mean iron sheets theft.
These iron sheets as some of the relief items procured under the office of prime minister, ended up being distributed among several high-profile government officials, sparking off the public uproar.
The said iron sheets were found on minister Lugoloobi’s goat house in Kayunga which he shortly after deroofed following media reports that exposed him. Following president Yoweri Museveni’s directive requiring the police to investigate all the implicated, and the implicated to return the items in question into government store, Lugoloobi was among who returned them.
In his defense earlier this year, Lugoloobi questioned why other implicated ministers in the scandal were not being prosecuted, before he could deny the wrong doing, maintaining that he had already returned the iron sheets.
In 2023, the DPP Jane Frances Abodo declined to sanction the files involving several other government officials that there wasn’t enough evidence. The withdrawal of Lugoloobi charges has sparked questions from some anti-corruption advocates on whether there is a will by the government to fight the increased public
