Uganda's State Minister of Karamoja Affairs has been remanded in prison over allegations relating to stealing iron roofing sheets meant for rural communities in the northeast of the country.
Agnes Nandutu is the third minister to be charged in connection with the scandal as investigations widen. She was detained by the police Tuesday after she ''handed herself over to the Police.''
Uganda's anti-corruption unit said the minister has been charged on Wednesday.
Police had detained the minister as investigations widen into alleged theft of iron roofing sheets meant for rural communities in the northeastern area of Karamoja.
Karamoja, in a remote region in Uganda bordering Kenya and South Sudan, is home to nomadic pastoralists vulnerable to frequent droughts and deadly cattle raids by armed criminals.
Security personnel have been conducting a disarmament program in the region and the roofing materials were meant for distribution to youths to persuade them to abandon criminal activities.
Other ministers detained
Agnes Nandutu is the third minister to be charged in the past two weeks in connection with the disappearance of thousands of iron roofing sheets.
Her detention comes after Minister of State for Finance Planning Amos Lugoloobi was remanded on Monday for allegedly misappropriating iron sheets meant for less privileged people. He denies the allegations.
First to be arrested earlier this month in connection with the scandal was the senior minister in charge of Karamoja development, Mary Goretti Kitutu who has since been charged with several offences, including loss of public property, conspiracy and fraud.
Kitutu is suspected of diverting 14,500 roofing iron sheets "to her own benefit and to the benefit of third parties," according to prosecutors. She was remanded in custody for several days before being granted bail. She pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution of senior government officials is rare in Uganda. The authorities had warned officials who knew they had benefitted from the allegedly diverted building materials to return them.
