Two Lwengo District officials arrested over fraud

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Two Lwengo District officials arrested over fraud
Two Lwengo District officials arrested over fraud

Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Lwengo District are holding two district staff over alleged fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.

They include; the district commercial development officer (DCDO) and his office attendant.

The CDO for Lwengo Sub County who is also a programmes focal person for Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) in Lwengo District is still on the run.

According to Lwengo deputy Resident District Commissioner, Mr Isha Ntumwa, the arrests followed a complaint from Nakalembe Piggery Women Group in Lwengo Sub County that they had not received the Shs9 million which was meant for them.

“One of the group members called RDC’s office and said that the sub county CDO told them that the Shs9 million was wrongly wired to their account and it was intended for some officials at the district,” he said on Thursday

The RDC said the CDO told members of the women’s group that he will send them an officer who will help in withdrawing the money and after, he will give them Shs1million as ‘facilitation’ and take the balance of Shs8 million to the district.

Mr Ntumwa said that after getting information on Tuesday morning, he followed up the matter with some members of the women’s group who tricked the office attendant in DCDO’s office to go to Finance Trust Bank Mbirizi branch and receive the money.

“The women withdrew the money and gave it to the office attendant who our detective arrested shortly with his exhibit of Shs9 million. After arresting him, he informed us that he was an emissary of his boss who had fled after getting information that his junior had been arrested,” he said

The duo is currently detained at Lwengo Police Station as the police hunt for the CDO.

According to available records at office of RDC, the DCDO’s office has so far obtained Shs50m from 12 women groups that receive funds through Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP) by using the above thuggery tricks.

Lwengo District Chairperson, Mr Ibrahim Kitatta said it is true the DCDO and his team wrongly obtained money from women’s groups and is working closely with police to arrest other suspects.

“After reviewing the bank statements for all 12 women groups who are beneficiaries, we discovered that about Shs50 to Shs80 million has illegally been withdrawn by DCDO’s office.

We have embarked on reviewing all projects funded by the government to avoid such immoral behaviors by civil servants,” he said.

Lwengo has been marred with fraud scandals and the recent one occurred in July 2021 where over 300 civil servants protested the unexplained monthly salary deductions which were reportedly going on a medical insurance scheme to help staff without their consent.

The civil servants claimed that the scheme was spearheaded by Ms Florence Namaganda, the district human resource and former Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Aggrey Mulamira.

Daily Monitor could not independently verify whether the funds were refunded as the victims refused to speak to the media.

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