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Amolatar authorities recover Shs55m stolen PDM cash
Uganda's legal tender. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- The RDC has vowed to recover all the Shs300 million PDM cash that went missing.
At least Shs55 million, out of the stolen Shs300 million Parish Development Model (PDM) cash has been recovered in Amolatar District, authorities have said.
The money was recovered from some parish chiefs and Savings and Credit Co-operatives Society (Sacco) leaders through a joint operation by security forces.
Under PDM, Amolatar received shs9.1 billion in 2023 and the cash was meant to be shared among 85 Saccos in the district.
About Shs300million was disbursed to 44 PDM Sacco groups (beneficiaries) in a bid to improve livelihood.
But district leaders said “this money ended up in the pockets of Sacco) leaders.”
Amolatar Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Francis Okello Odoki Rwotlonyo told Monitor that they have had challenges with implementation of PDM project after Shs300 million was embezzled.
“We have recovered Shs55 million in a period of one week since Monday last week,” Okello revealed.
He vowed to recover all the missing cash, noting that the operation targeting suspects will also continue.
“We have over 30 people in our custody. Some of them are being produced in courts and they are going to be charged. I still have faith that we are going to recover 100% of the money that the government has lost in Amolatar,” Okello remarked on Tuesday.
Amolatar District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Paul Samuel Mbiwa disclosed that two parish chiefs and one Community Development Officer (CDO) “returned the money they had illegally obtained.”
PDM is a government multi-sectoral program aimed at improving the livelihood of Ugandans, especially the 39 percent living a subsistence lifestyle by upgrading them from a subsistence economy to commercial production.
President Museveni launched PDM in February 2022.
But since then, several reports indicate that many civil servants and Sacco leaders have mismanaged PDM funds.
In August 2023, four people including a CDO were arrested in connection with the alleged misuse of Shs36.6million disbursed to Aputi Sub-County.
However, dozens of other suspects in the case escaped arrest using a ferry- via Lake Kyoga.
