By REUTERS
Three Ugandan legislators, all members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, have been charged with corruption-related offences. MPs Michael Mawanda Maranga, Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, and Paul Akamba appeared in court and were charged with diverting public resources. Despite pleading not guilty, they were remanded to prison.
Prosecutors accused the lawmakers of diverting Ush3.4 billion to unrelated purposes and conspiring to defraud the government. Criticism of President Yoweri Museveni’s tolerance of corruption among politically loyal officials has grown.
One of the lawyers representing the accused raised concerns about the violation of their constitutional rights. This comes after Akamba and two other lawmakers were previously charged with attempting to influence the budget of the Uganda Human Rights Commission. The case highlights the ongoing struggle against corruption in Uganda’s political landscape.