By Aggrey Baba
The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has issued a warrant of arrest against Stella Itute, the personal assistant and sister to former Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among (AAA), after she failed to appear in court again in the ongoing Parliament corruption case.
The order was issued on Monday, July 27, by Grade One Magistrate Esther Asiimwe during the further mention of a case in which former Parliament Director of Communications Chris Obore, Director of Human Resource Daniel Adilo, former Executive Secretary in the Office of the Speaker Leonard Okema, Principal Research Officer Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu, Principal Protocol Officer Emmanuel Emuron Okwi, Capacity Development Officer Vincent Otebata, Parliamentary SACCO Chief Executive Officer Methods Murebe, and Stella Itute are facing charges related to alleged embezzlement, causing financial loss, money laundering and related offences.
According to the state prosecutors, Obore embezzled UGX 5.253 billion, Adilo UGX 14.609 billion, Okema UGX 3.489 billion, Rajab UGX 2.170 billion, Emmanuel Emuron Okwi UGX1.105 billion, Otebata UGX 5.253 billion, and Stella Itute UGX 75 million. Murebe is named on the money laundering charges but not on the individual embezzlement counts.
Itute, who is listed as Accused Number Six (A6), was absent when the case was called despite already being named on the charge sheet. Her continued absence prompted Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Brenda Mawanda to ask court to issue a warrant for her arrest.
Granting the application, Magistrate Asiimwe ordered that Itute be arrested and produced before court, saying the case could not proceed normally while one of the accused persons remained at large.
The magistrate also informed the defence lawyers that she could not hear the accused persons’ bail applications because the Anti-Corruption Court, presided over by a Grade One Magistrate, lacks jurisdiction to determine bail in such cases, further explaining that only the High Court has the powers to hear and determine the bail applications.
However, Asiimwe added that she was unable to commit the case to the High Court while one of the accused persons had not yet been arrested and presented before court.
Chris Obore’s lawyer, Counsel Richard Omongole, in an interview with the press, objected to the delay, arguing that his clients’ constitutional right to apply for bail should not be frustrated by the continued absence of one suspect.
Omongole asked the prosecution and the court to consider removing Stella Itute from the charge sheet so that the remaining accused could proceed with their bail applications, adding that lawyers representing all the accused had already filed bail applications before the High Court and that the applications had been fixed for hearing on August 3, 2026.
The magistrate, however, maintained that the matter could not be committed to the High Court until Itute had been arrested and brought before court.
The case was adjourned to August 10, 2026, when all the accused are expected to return to court to take plea. By then, investigators from the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and the prosecution are expected to have traced and arrested Stella Itute.
The Parliament corruption case stems from investigations into the alleged misuse of public funds at Parliament. Prosecutors also allege that the accused caused government financial loss through funds earmarked for Parliament’s donations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, while six of the accused (Obore, Adilo, Okema, Rajab Kaaya Ssemalulu, Otebata and Murebe) also face joint money laundering charges involving UGX 10.893 billion alleged to be proceeds of crime.
Earlier this month, Chris Obore and six other accused persons were remanded after being charged with embezzlement, money laundering and related offences, while Itute remained the only suspect who had not been arrested. Her continued absence has now become the latest obstacle in the progress of the high-profile case. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
