KAMPALA- The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has asked the Anti-Corruption Court for a period of one month to enable them conclude investigations into the corruption case involving minister without Portfolio Abraham Byandala, and five others.

The request was made by IGG representatives, Rogers Kinobe and Thomas Okoth when the Mukono-Katosi road fraud case came up for update on how far the investigations have gone.

“We are finalising with the investigations and we pray for a month’s time so that we can adequately update the court on the progress” Mr Kinobe asked presiding Senior Grade Magistrate Julius Borore at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala on Tuesday.

Accordingly, court granted the IGG the one month request to enable them conclude the investigations and have the suspects tried. The suspects return to court on September 15.

A fortnight ago, the IGG arraigned the minister before court over several charges of corruption in relation to the halted Mukono-Katosi road in which over Shs24 billion was lost to a sham construction company.

The ombudsman, who is prosecuting with this case, accuses the minister of having abused his office while holding the Works ministry docket by a letter dated November 14, 2013, when he directed the immediate signing of the contract between UNRA and EUTAW, an American construction firm that was contracted to upgrade the Katosi road and yet the company lacked capacity to perform.

In a related development, Marvin Baryaruha, the former legal counsel for UNRA responded to the court’s criminal summons in connection to the Mukono-Katosi road scam. He denied the charges of influence peddling, abuse of office and corruption.