African News Agency : Welcome

Kampala - Germany has suspended aid worth 3 million euros to the Ugandan government over corruption allegations, a government spokesman said yesterday. Fred Opolot, head of the Uganda Media Center, told reporters that the aid cut is in respect to the financial scandal in the Office of the Prime Minister and not what he called false allegations by a leaked UN report that Uganda was supporting a Democratic Republic of Congo rebel group, M23. He also said the suspension is not tagged to the current debate in the country's parliament to criminalize homosexuality. "I can confirm that the German government has suspended budgetary support to Uganda in view of the financial mismanagement by some individuals at the Office of the Prime Minister, until such matters are resolved," he said. Opolot said the government is undertaking administrative sanctions and criminal investigations to ensure that the stolen money totaling to over 13 million U.S. dollars is recovered. The funds were meant for post-war recovery in northern Uganda, which is recovering from a two-decade war and semi arid northeastern Uganda. A special audit by the country's Auditor General found evidence detailing how aid from Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark was transferred to unauthorized accounts in a sophisticated scam. Germany is the latest country to cut aid to the East African country over the financial scam. Britain, Uganda's main donor, Ireland, Denmark and Norway have already cut their support. (FA)