Two town agents and two Parish Development Model (PDM) program SACCO chairpersons have been accused of acquiring money under false pretenses by the chief magistrate’s court in Fort Portal City.
The chairpersons of the Kibedde PDM Savings and Credit Co-operative Organization, Fred Amanyire, and his vice, Robert Mugabe, are represented by town agents Ester Kobusinge and Godfrey Businge for the Kibasi and Kyererezi wards in the Kabarole district, respectively.
On October 7, 2024, a court chaired by Chief Magistrate Moses Nabende heard testimony from the accused regarding their conduct from February to August of the same year.
According to testimony given in court, the town agents took money from intended PDM beneficiaries totaling between sh50,000 and sh 200,000.
“The accused persons and others still at large, while in Kabarole district with intent to defraud, obtained money by falsely presenting that the money was a requirement for them to benefit from PDM whereas not,” the charge sheet states.
Likewise, the court was informed that Amanyire and Mugabe procured sh300,000 from Kibedde resident Naome Ninsiima on behalf of other members in order to add them to the PDM beneficiaries list.
Nabende only granted Kobusinge a sh1 million cash bond, despite the fact that all of the defendants submitted bail applications.
The other accused parties were remanded to Katojo Prison after their bail application hearing was scheduled for October 14, 2024.