In Obongi District, police have arrested three leaders of the Ewafa Parish Development Model (PDM) Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization (SACCO) on allegations of corruption.
The suspects are John Bosco Moiyini, the SACCO Chairperson; Swaib Isile, Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee; and Nickson Barack, the SACCO Secretary. Their arrest was ordered by Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka during a meeting with PDM beneficiaries at Ewafa Trading Center.
According to RDC Mpimbaza, the trio allegedly conspired to extort 150,000 Ugandan shillings from each of the 100 SACCO members, a practice he condemned as unlawful.
He emphasized his commitment to ensuring that funds intended for the Parish Development Model reach their rightful beneficiaries, warning that anyone misusing these poverty alleviation funds will face legal consequences.
One of the complainants, Mariam Nasur, a resident of Ewafa Sub-county, accused the SACCO leaders of taking her money without delivering the promised funds. She stated that she paid 150,000 shillings to Swaib Isile in August of the previous year but never received the 1 million shillings she was supposed to get under the Parish Development Model.
The suspects are currently detained at Obongi Central Police Station, where they are recording their statements. Authorities are continuing their investigations into the allegations.
The Parish Development Model is a government initiative aimed at moving households from subsistence to commercial production to improve incomes and livelihoods. However, the program has faced challenges, including corruption and mismanagement.
For instance, in Bududa District, two government officials were charged with misusing PDM funds, and in Ngora District, officials were arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for PDM SACCOs.
These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges in implementing the Parish Development Model and underscore the need for stringent oversight to ensure that the program's objectives are achieved.
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