NATIONAL NEWS: Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara’s anti-corruption campaign has received a major boost, with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) set to work alongside him and mobile courts being deployed to speed up the prosecution of suspects.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao announced the development on Sunday evening during a national update on Mega FM in Gulu City, saying he had already communicated with Barugahara about the new arrangement.
“As the Minister of Justice, I have right now communicated with Balaam that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will be moving with him. Those who steal money, those who inflate the number of learners, you must know that you are going to prison,” Mao stated.
He said the new system will allow charge sheets to be prepared on site, while mobile courts can be constituted immediately and cases heard during community barazas.
“A charge sheet will be written (on site); we have even talked to the Chief Justice because right now the Chief Justice has appended his signature to what is called the Mobile Court, meaning even where a borehole is pumped, court can sit there,” Mao said.
Mao dismissed criticism that the public anti-corruption operations amount to humiliation or psychological torture, saying suspects will instead receive justice openly and without unnecessary delays.
“So we can just remand you, or even hear your case from the borehole site. That is what we are doing so that you don’t think that you are being tortured; you will be tried before the people because right now the Chief Justice has confirmed that we have a mobile court,” he added.
He cited an earlier high-profile mobile court session in the Okello toddler murder case as an example of courts sitting in unconventional locations when necessary.
Mao also stressed that authorities must respect the constitutional 48-hour limit on police detention, warning that suspects would be taken before court promptly where judicial officers are available.
“Because our law does not allow that you must be in police cells for more than 48 hours, so if the judge is there you will just be taken,” he cautioned.
The Justice Minister further revealed that the Judiciary is exploring legal amendments to facilitate the appointment of acting magistrates and justices of the peace who could temporarily handle criminal cases within communities.
He warned public servants to follow the law, saying prosecutors and judicial officers could now be present wherever anti-corruption operations are conducted.
Since his appointment earlier this year, Barugahara has led high-profile anti-corruption operations in several districts, resulting in arrests and interdictions of public officials and the recovery of substantial public funds.
President Yoweri Museveni has backed the campaign and urged the DPP to assign dedicated officers to expedite the prosecution of those implicated.
The deployment of mobile courts and closer DPP coordination marks a significant shift toward faster, community-based justice in the government’s fight against corruption at the local government level.
