By Ebi Kesiena
A Ugandan government minister who has been remanded in custody in connection with a corruption scandal involving the theft of thousands of metal roofing sheets has pleaded not guilty in court.
Mary Kitutu, the minister of the north-eastern Karamoja region, was denied bail and will spend Easter weekend in jail.
Report says the metal sheets were intended for vulnerable communities in Ms. Kitutu’s region.
Officials say at least 10 other government figures including the vice president, the prime minister, and the speaker of parliament received some of the stolen roofing sheets.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has apologised and urged other officials to return the sheets.
Reports say, One minister was recently forced to remove some from the roof of his goat shed.
Mrs Kitutu will remain in custody until next Wednesday. It is alleged that instead of distributing the roofing materials to Karamoja communities, she gave them to her relatives and officials.
“I have understood the charge and it’s not true,” she responded in court, speaking firmly.
However, President Yoweri Museveni has called for the prosecution of all those involved.
