Congo arrest over missing uranium (BBC)

[Eugene]

Last Updated: Thursday, 8 March 2007, 11:32 GMT

Congo arrest over missing uranium

The Democratic Republic of Congo's top atomic energy official is being held
over allegations of uranium smuggling.

Atomic energy centre director Fortunat Lumu and an aide have been questioned
since their arrest on Tuesday.

A large quantity of uranium is reported to have gone missing in recent years,
although state prosecutor Tshimanga Mukeba did not reveal any figures.

-snip-

DR Congo's daily newspaper Le Phare reported that more than 100 bars of
uranium as well as an unknown quantity of uranium contained in helmet-shaped
cases, had disappeared from the nuclear centre in Kinshasa as part of a vast
trafficking of the material going back years.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6430031.stm