Three Ugandan legislators charged with graft-related offences

22/6/2024 17:55

        Three Ugandan legislators have been charged with corruption-related offences, according to a charge sheet seen by Reuters on Saturday, as President Yoweri Museveni's government widens its crackdown on rampant graft among lawmakers.
        
        The charge sheet said, MPs Michael Mawanda Maranga, Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi and Paul Akamba appeared in court late on Friday and were charged with "diversion of public resources."
        
        They are all members of the ruling National Resistance Movement(NRM) party.
        
        All three pleaded not guilty and were remanded to prison.
        
        Stealing and misuse of government funds is widespread in the east African country and critics have long accused Museveni of turning a blind eye to corruption by top officials, who are politically loyal to him and his ruling party.
        
        Prosecutors accused the three lawmakers of diverting about 3.4 billion Ugandan shillings ($908,605), to "purposes unrelated to that for which the resources were intended".
        
        The charge sheet said, additionally, the three suspects allegedly also "conspired to defraud the government of Uganda."