Joveline Kalisa, the Parish Development Model’s deputy coordinator, issued an arrest warrant for four individuals on Wednesday for incompetence, fraud, and corruption in connection with the implementation of the program in Kole District.
It was alleged that Emmanuel Okao, the district commercial officer and PDM focal point person, conspired with PDM SACCOS leaders to improperly run the program, and she subsequently ordered his immediate re-arrest.
Janet Adongo, the sub-county chief of Alito, Okidi Geoffrey of Okwerodot, Kinyera Boniface, the community development officer of Alito Town Council, and Edward Okwi, the chairman of Ogwangacuma PDM SACCOS, were among those detained during the raid.
After the team discovered that Okwi had reportedly collected all of the executive members’ phones and given them to Okao for unknown reasons and had also authorized several payments to some members that were against PDM norms, Okwi was once again taken into custody.
Six district officials were detained last month for repeatedly accepting unscreened recipients of monies intended to move 3.5 million people locked in the subsistence sector into the money economy.
Okao, Okwi, Richard Elok, the chairperson of the Maktic Group, Geoffrey Ojok of Acan Pe Kun, Moses Omara of Omolo Farmers, and Umar Ekora, the chairwoman of the Bed Amwol group, are among those detained and released on police bond.
On October 12, 2023, after meeting with three claimed victims of the fraudulent transactions, Kalisa spoke to the media at the Aboke Town Council. She urged them to pay attention to the victims who turned in their phones to Okao and ask them why they were taken since there was cellular network coverage nearby.
She continued, saying there was a network in the region so there was no need to collect people’s phones. “When we are doing this, we need the program to work but people have lost trust in you and I think it is not your problem but the commercial officer bringing all this trouble,” she added.
More arrests will be made, according to the local district commissioner, Josephine Omara Olili, because many parish and sub-county leaders have neglected their responsibilities, leaving the beneficiaries in limbo or unable to receive the funds.
She claimed that only two governmental employees turned up after being informed about the crucial meeting to evaluate its success and determine why people, particularly those in Alito, had not benefited.
She continued by saying that they had summoned six parish chiefs in Alito to give testimony regarding their carelessness and failure to carry out their duties with regard to the scheme.
We are not joking, so please park and go away so that others can be employed to perform the work, she continued.
She continued by saying that numerous parish leaders in the area lack computer proficiency, which has led them to start extorting money from the recipients in order to pay professionals to complete the work.
