KAMPALA, Uganda
A third Ugandan minister was charged on Wednesday with corruption in a widening government scandal over the alleged theft of thousands of metal roofing sheets intended for a relief program in the northeastern Karamoja region.
On Wednesday Agness Nandutu,
the state minister for Karamoja Affairs, was remanded in prison by a Kampala
judge after pleading not guilty to "dealing with suspect property,"
according to court papers seen by Reuters.
Nandutu was accused of
receiving 2,000 roofing sheets from government stores "which she had
reason to believe were acquired as a result of loss of public property."
Prosecutors have already
charged two other lawmakers in the same case, including Uganda's junior finance
minister. The relief program is being run by the prime minister's office.
The country's leading
prosecutor, Jane Frances Abodo, told a local radio station her office had
opened parallel investigations into dozens of other officials, including the
vice president.
Corruption investigations
against ministers are rare in Uganda.
No comments:
Post a Comment