The request letter for money that went missing
The Rwampara Chief Administrative Officer, Steven Rubeihayo and the Production Officer, Athanasius Gumisiriza spent a night at Nyeihanga Central Police station for alleged embezzlement of the Parish Development Model (PDM) funds.
The duo was arrested on Monday in a meeting organized by the Resident District Commissioner, Jane Asiimwe Muhindo involving Parish Chiefs, Chairperson LC IIs, District Councilors, and some PDM beneficiaries.
According to Muhindo, she launched investigations into the management of PDM funds after receiving complaints from the beneficiaries implicating Gumisiriza and some civil servants of soliciting bribes from them during registration.
“Some groups claim that some civil servants that I don’t want to mention because investigations are still ongoing would ask for 34,000 Shillings from each group for registration yet the CAO knew about it and never did anything,” she said.
Muhindo explains that the duo was arrested after failing to account for 35 million Shillings meant for mobilization and sensitization of the would-be beneficiaries since no training was held.
According to Muhindo, the CAO failed to recruit staff Parish chiefs as required by the PDM guidelines yet the money was released for the same.
She says that she has already written to the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and the Inspectorate of Government to carry out a forensic audit of the funds received by the district since the program was initiated.
Richard Owomugasho Baine, the Rwampara LC V Chairperson, says that another 7.8 Million Shillings that was meant for Kinoni Town Council was diverted to the account of Kinoni Sub County in Kiruhura District.
Steven Rubeihayo, the Rwampara Chief Administrative Officer denied any knowledge about the irregularities and missing funds, saying that it was only brought to his attention by the PDM focal person last week.
Musa Karindiro, the Mwizi Parish Chairperson in Mwizi Sub County, says that they have never received any invitation to the sensitization PDM meeting but they were shocked by a list that was generated from his Parish.
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