A Ugandan minister has promised tough action against those implicated in a much publicized AIDS fund mismanagement case, local press said on Sunday.

Health Minister Jim Muhwezi said persons implicated in wrongdoing by the commission of inquiry probing the mismanagement of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will be punished.

On August 24, the Global Fund suspended five grants to Uganda due to "evidence of serious mismanagement by the Project Management Unit (PMU)." Uganda has so far received some 45 million US dollars out of 201 million dollars earmarked for the country by the fund over a two-year period.

The Ugandan government has appointed a four-man team to probe the alleged mismanagement. Minister Muhwezi said action would be taken once the report is out.

"There is zero tolerance of corruption in Uganda. Even in this case a commission of inquiry has been set up to investigate the allegations and the PMU, which was the body running these funds, has been suspended," he said.

"However, I should mention that this was on the basis of allegations. It was not on the basis of an audit report. The commission of inquiry is going to find out the truth and there will be no tolerance of any wrongdoing what-so-ever," He added.

Source: Xinhua