KABALE, UGANDA: The Former Kabale Chief Administrative Officer Mr. Edmond Ntimba along with three other district staff have been arrested for the alleged misappropriation of Shs 289million Parish Development Model (PDM) funds in the district.
Mr. Ntimba (now CAO of Mitooma district) was arrested on Friday afternoon along with his former staff at Kabale district; Mwebesa Beda, (Production Officer), Kakuru Boaz (physical planner), and Christopher Namara (Community Development Officer).
ASP Elly Maate the Kigezi Regional Police spokesman confirmed the arrest and said the suspects are being detained at Kabale central police station as a general inquiry file (GEF) has been opened to investigate the allegations and the outcome will determine the way forward.
The arrest followed a meeting convened at the RDC’s boardroom by PDM Secretariat officials led by Jovin Kyomukama Kalisa, the PDM Deputy national coordinator after a series of complaints lodged against the suspects for the alleged embezzlement of funds disbursed to the district for the PDM program implementation.
Kabale district local government received Shs 563m for PDM activities and revolving funds worth Ugx 289 million meant for parish SACCO’S which was not put to proper use.
This money was reportedly misused by the suspects between the months of July 2021 and June 2022.
Kalisa says she received information from a whistle-blower that the accused officers secretly withdrew the money from the bank.
She says that only Shs 111M out of the Ugx 400m Kabale received in February to be disbursed to PDM parish SACCOs was released by the district technocrats.
When questioned, Ntimba and Mwebesa claimed that the money was spent on fuel and lunch for civil servants who were sensitizing locals on PDM.
But this defence was rejected by Kalisa saying the guidelines required them not to withdrew the money until they are told to do so.
Godfrey Nyakahuma the Kabale RDC says that they are looking for two other officials Erasmus Natumanya and Mujuni who are on the run.
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