By Jimmy Musinguzi
A section of residents, human rights activists, and legal practitioners in Kabale District have condemned the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, to clear some high-profile government officials in the probe into the alleged theft and diversion of iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja region.
Addressing journalists this week, Abodo indicated that they discovered 23 files directly involving the diversion of iron sheets that were opened against several suspects.
She added that out of the 23, they screened the suspects and found that they did not have sufficient evidence to proceed with 17 case files of suspects.
According to the Executive Director of Kick Corruption Out of Uganda, Mr. Kakuru Robert Byamugisha, the DPP’s decision is a direct indication of legal gaps in the institution, saying that she proved incapacitated to make a decision.
Byamugisha now wants the President to quickly fulfill his political actions against the top government officials who allegedly mismanaged the iron sheets as promised.
The Central Division LC5 councillor, Leopold Twesigye, said that the decision by the DPP was expected considering the delays endured during the investigations and the failure by the President to ask his ministers involved in the saga to step down as investigations continued.
He described the decision as unfortunate, saying that it promotes impunity and corruption among government officials.
A legal practitioner who spoke to Netizen posts on condition of anonymity said that the DPP’s decision lacked enough examination, saying that she needed no extra evidence to substantiate the charges against the officials other than individual admissions from iron-sheet receipts.
He added that the evidence she relied on to sanction charges against the three ministers in court should have been the same evidence used to charge the remaining 17 ministers.
However, the Constitution gives the DPP the mandate to reopen a closed case file once she gets evidence she deems sufficient to stand trial against a suspect.