1 May 2010

Prosecutions sought over 2007 CHOGM contracts

5:58 pm on 1 May 2010

A parliamentary investigation into misappropriated money in Uganda, involving the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), has called for the vice-president and several ministers to be prosecuted.

The accusations centre on government contracts awarded for transporting heads of state at Chogm, the budget for which was around $US80 million.

The BBC reports that the vice-president, Gilbert Bukenya, who chaired the cabinet team in charge of preparations for the event, was called before a parliamentary committee investigating the expenditure but refused to attend.

He had previously said that contracts were signed in consultation with President Yoweri Museveni - who has immunity from prosecution.

Details from a 174-page draft report have been published by Uganda's two main newspapers, the Daily Monitor and New Vision.

Commonwealth members at the meeting pledged to fight corruption.