The Parish Chief and Community Development Officer (CDO) of Patongo Sub-County in Agago district are being investigated for the alleged forgery of the Parish Development Model (PDM) document.
Pamela Aciro the Parish Chief of Odongkiwinyo Parish and Wikingson Odong, the CDO are accused of deleting the names of eight PDM beneficiaries from documents already authorized by the Chief Administrative Officer-CAO to the bank for payment.
It is alleged that the two officials withdrew the original document for payment of 108 beneficiaries of Odongkiwinyo Parish Sacco Patongo sub-county and produced another copy with the names of 8 beneficiaries missing, yet their money was already in the bank.
Susan Akot, the Deputy RDC of Agago, said she received a call from the manager of Bank of Africa in Patongo, on Friday evening that some beneficiaries’ names were missing.
Akot said the suspects kept telling the chairperson and his executive that the PDM guideline stipulates that each Parish Sacco must have only 100 people, even when the CAO had already approved 108 beneficiaries.
Akot said they have already sent a team on the ground to investigate all parish chiefs, and anyone found to have been forging or swindling money meant for PDM beneficiaries will be punished.
Akot revealed that they recently arrested the Parish Chief of Lanyirinyiri Parish in Lira Kato Sub-County, for registering his sister who lives in Kitgum, to benefit from the money.
Rose Awor, a beneficiary whose name was also deleted from the list, said the development is an inconvenience, which has made her spend three nights at the bank with the hope of getting her money.
Daniel Onyuk, the treasurer of Odongkiwinyo Parish Sacco, said they have already recorded statements from the police, adding that he is hopeful the affected beneficiaries will get their money within two weeks or less.
The case of abuse of office and theft has been registered at Patongo Central Police Station Vide SD 26/10/11/2023.
In June, the RDC, James Nabinson Kidega, halted the registration of new PDM members until beneficiaries in the first phase were screened.
The directive followed complaints from a section of district leaders over irregularities in the registration process of beneficiaries, where Sacco leaders in Pece Parish, Patongo Town Council paid themselves 800,000 Shillings each, while their wives and all other members of their family also received between 500,000- 400,000 Shillings.
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