The public should pressure their members of parliament to enact the death penalty for those found guilty of corruption, according to former Aruu County MP Odonga Otto.
Odonga Otto estimates that the nation loses a trillion shillings annually to corruption scandals.
“The laws should be amended and we bring back the death sentence for corruption so that people who are involved in corruption be executed and sentenced to death and we make it a public affair,” said Odonga Otto while appearing on the Next Radio Weekend show.
The Anti-Corruption Act 2009 stipulates that a person convicted of corruption is liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding 240 currency points or both.
Speaking about the Karamoja Iron Sheet scandal, Odonga Otto said that the arrest of ministers brings hope to the citizens that no one is untouchable.
“Iron sheets thieves must be executed. We are behind the judiciary. I was very happy to see another minister getting arrested. Let them go to Luzira. Maybe they will advocate for prisoners when they return,” said Odonga Otto.
He added, “The arrest of the ministers one after another is bringing hope to the citizens that not everything is lost.”
On Friday, the Minister of State for Finance (Planning) Amos Lugoloobi became the second minister to be arrested over relief iron sheets meant for the people of Karamoja.
Karamoja Affairs Minister Mary Goretti Kitutu became the first suspect to be formally charged in court and remanded on charges of conspiracy to defraud and causing loss of public property.
However, she was on Friday, April 14, released on bail after spending eight days in custody.
Lugoloobi will reportedly be produced before the court today. He was arrested on Friday and he’s detained at Kira Division Police Station.
He reportedly received 600 iron sheets and used some of them to roof a shed for his goats on his farm located in Misanga Village, Bbaale Sub-county in Kayunga District.
22 ministers, 31 MPs, and 13 district administrative officers have also been implicated in the scandal, in addition to Vice President Jessica Alupo, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
President Yoweri Museveni vowed to take political action on those found guilty of taking iron sheets meant for the vulnerable people in Karamoja.