OBONGI (UG): Police in Obongi have arrested four senior technical staff of the District Local Government over a ghost purchase of a district double-cabin vehicle worth shs 337 million.
The four who include; Mr Onapa Ivan Opio, the Acting District Engineer, Ms Fatuma Musa, the Procurement Officer, Ms Zubeda Shafi, an accountant and Mr Ayume Charles, the Auditor were arrested on Friday and are currently in police custody pending further investigation.
According to preliminary police information, the four officials, including the runaway CAO, Mr Andrew Leru allegedly connived in a scandal that involved the purchase and supply of a ghost double cabin pickup vehicle which was non-existent.
It is further reported that the process for the supply and purchase of the vehicle was started last and payment was made in February 2023 but the vehicle has never been delivered.
Available records seen by this publication indicate that the deal was connived through a contractor identified as Bygone Enterprises Ltd of Lira district.
The district acknowledged receipt of the vehicle which has never been received and only received a picture of it from the supplier in Naguru Kampala.
DailyExpress has learnt that Mr Onapa Ivan Opio, the Ag District Engineer joined Obongi district after being dismissed by UNRA for embezzling money for fuel when he was a station manager at Moyo district. Additionally, Andrew Leru (the CAO who is currently on the run) was recently arrested for embezzling PDM funds.
When contacted on his official phone number, CAO Leru Andrew did not pick up his repeated phone calls from this reporter but police said that the State House Anti-Corruption Unit have taken interest in the matter to see the culprits charged for embezzling tax payer’s money.
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