Police Spokesperson West Nile Josephine Angucia said the arrest of Joackin Andiandu and Owen Onzima over DRDIP who are now in prison was from discontented members who reported the matter to police. Photos By Joseph Jurua
By Joseph Jurua
Arua
The Arua district senior environment officer is on the spot for swindling shs20m meant for a group under the Displacement Response for Development Impact Project (DRDIP).
DRDIP is a World Bank-funded project being implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
It aims to address the socio-economic and environmental challenges in refugee-hosting communities and the impacts of their long stay in the hosting communities.
Joachim Andiandu, also the desk officer for DRDIP, together with Cosmas Onzima, a community facilitator at Ajia Parish, allegedly conned Ombamba Village Savings Group of Shs20m.
It is alleged that the duo on December 27th, 2023, withdrew Shs41m belonging to the group from Post Bank in Arua but delivered only Shs21m to the group, claiming the Shs20m was for district officials.
Police on Sunday, January 14th, 2024, Summoned Andiandu and Onzima Ajia Police post, where the two suspects were interrogated and detained at Arua CPS in Odumi on Monday.
By Friday, the suspects were remanded to Arua Main Prison after appearing before Justice Paul Matyama the Chief Magistrate of Arua high court circuit. They were charged for Theft and are expected to reappear next week on Wednesday.
How the money was extorted?
Augustino Yekoko, the chairman of Ombamba Village revolving Fund group in Ajia parish in Arua district on Thursday narrated that when they withdrew the money, Onzima said the group did not offset a last loan of Sh27m in 2022, and the Sh20m was to offset the previous loan.
“As signatories, we gave the money and returned and explained to the group members who demanded why the money delivered is only Sh21m out of the Sh41m,” Yekoko said.
Yekoko explained that the group got Shs27m as a loan in 2022, but members only repaid Shs12.2m, leaving a balance of Shs14.8m.
“Onzima told the group he is retaining the Sh20m and will give it to the district Environment officer to replace the Sh14.8m which the group failed to repay from the initial Sh27m in 2022,” Yekoko said.
The aggrieved members decided with the LC1 of Ombamba to register a case at Ajia police post. The sub-county officials summoned the group executive’s members which later led to the summoning of the district environment officer and the community facilitator.
The district has operation funds of Sh804.8m out of the Sh15.2b. The funds accessed for Ombamba Village Savings group is Shs55.5m under watershed projects.
Josephine Angucia, the Police Spokesperson for the West Nile region said, at Ajia Police post, Shs17,740,000 million was recovered while at Odumi Police Station, the balance of 2,260,000 million was recovered from the suspects.
Community implored to report
Geoffrey Okisua, the Arua Resident District Commissioner (RDC) expressed anger and rubbished claims by the suspects that the Shs20m was to be shared by the district officials.
“He [Andiandu] developed an appetite for corruption and pocketed Shs20m out of the Shs41m for Ombamba Savings group,” Okisua said.
Okisua implored the Office of the Inspectorate of Government to apply lifestyle audits in such cases.
“It is displeasing to steal money meant for the poor when the NRM government is promoting economic empowerment and household income,” Okisua said.
Alfred Okuonzi, the Arua district chairperson appealed to the communities to report any case of corruption to the leaders, speak out, and stop giving money to technical officers, who already have operational funds to monitor and supervise such programs.
Boniface Alioni, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice chairperson in Arua, said such corrupt officials sabotage the implementation of the NRM Manifesto and deprive the community of life-changing services.
Alioni also claimed that several officers have accumulated huge assets from money stolen meant for service delivery, and asked the responsible authorities to investigate the assets of such suspect.
“If such is not done, we shall not reach the middle-income status as the President has been preaching,” Alioni said.
According to records presented by Andiandu on November 3, 2023, Arua district has Shs15.2b for 78 sub-projects for 22,777 beneficiaries.
