2006年VOA标准英语-Diplomats Press Uganda on Alleged AIDS Graft Ca

By Nino Gnecchi
Nairobi
23 August 2006

Foreign diplomats¹ based in Uganda are urging the Kampala government to deal more forcefully with charges that international donations to fight AIDS have been embezzled² by officials once in the government. The charges led at least one group to suspend temporarily hundreds of millions of dollars in donations to fight AIDS in the country.

Four European Union envoys³ this week pressed the Ugandan government to investigate and possibly prosecute⁴ a former health minister and his two deputies for mismanaging funds provided to the Ugandan government by the Geneva-based Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis⁵ and Malaria⁶.

--------

The group last year temporarily suspended $367 million in funding to Uganda, citing financial mismanagement. The suspension prompted the Ugandan government to launch an investigation⁷, and Global Fund lifted its suspension three months later. But in a report they released this week, several EU diplomats express concern over the time line of the investigation.  

		Yoweri Museveni

While Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, did remove health minister Jim Muhwezi and his two deputies, Mike Mukula and Alex Kamugisha, the report said they should swiftly face prosecution⁸ for their actions. It said the three had lied "unashamedly and without blinking an eye" under oath while testifying before the panel about money spent on bogus fact-finding trips around the country.

In a response to the report, Information Minister Nsaba Buturo told VOA that the Ugandan government is committed to fighting embezzlement⁹ and that action is being taken.

"First of all, the minister of health who used some of the funding, has already refunded¹⁰ the money used," said Buturo. "Secondly¹¹, a number of non-governmental organizations are also returning the funds which were given to them. Thirdly, the police are already taking action recommended in the report by the judge on some of the individuals, particularly those who are not intending to appear in the higher courts."

The controversy¹² over the misuse¹³ of funds has damaged Uganda's image as one of the most successful AIDS fighters in Africa. Since 1992, HIV prevalence in Uganda has dropped by more than half.

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 embezzled   

v.贪污，盗用（公款）( embezzle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The clerk embezzled a thousand pounds from the bank where he worked. 那个职员在他工作的银行里贪污了一千英镑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cashier embezzled ＄ 50,000 from the bank. 出纳员盗用了银行5万美元。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

4 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

5 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

6 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

9 embezzlement   

n.盗用，贪污

参考例句：

• He was accused of graft and embezzlement and was chained and thrown into prison.他因被指控贪污盗窃而锒铛入狱。
• The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement of funds.法官因他盗用公款将其送入监牢。

10 refunded   

v.归还，退还( refund的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Postage costs will be refunded (to you). 邮费将退还（给你）。 来自辞典例句
• Yes, it will be refunded to you at the expiration of the lease. 是的，租约期满时，押金退回。 来自无师自通 校园英语会话

11 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

12 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

13 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。