Police in Nwoya district are hunting for Mr Christopher Ocen, the Alero Sub-county Chief over allegations of demanding for bribes from youth in the district who were accessing Youth livelihood Project funds.
Ocen and his Sub-accountant George Mwaka are accused of demanding for Shs 200,000 from Atocon youth Alero Produce Buying and selling group when the group received Shs 6.6 million early this year.
According to Police, shortly after the money was released, the youth group chairperson Mr Geoffrey Oyet wired the money to Mr Ocen and Mwaka who had demanded the money as their transport refund for helping the group access the government grants.
Mr Oyet the group chairman however later also swindled Shs 2 million out of the Shs 6.6 million they received but failed to account to fellow members of the group.
Recently when members of the group forwarded the complaints to the district authorities, Police were informed leading to the arrest of Mwaka, the sub-accountant and the group chairman Mr Oyet on Wednesday.
The sub-county chief however escaped arrest and has since gone into hiding.
Aswa Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema in an interview with Acholi Times on Thursday confirmed that police arrested the sub-accountant and the group chairman but noted that the sub-county chief was still at large.
“The duo arrested has since confessed of receiving and using the funds meant for livelihood programme. They have all paid back the money summing to Shs 2.2 million which Police in Nwoya are at the moment keeping as exhibit to be presented in court,”
“The suspects are being detained at Anaka Police Post where they will be shortly arraigned in courtto answer charges of embezzling government funds,” He added.
Okema noted that the police are also intensifying their search for the sub-county Chief who is needed for interrogation to help police in investigating the matter.
“We have been receiving many complaints from youth groups about sub-county officials demanding for money before they can access the youth livelihood funds. We want to assure the public that police will apprehend those suspected in the scam and prosecute them,” says Okema.
Early this month, members of Waneno Anyim youth group and United Youth’s Development Association youth in Anaka Town Council accused Anaka Sub-county Chief and his Sub-accountant of demanding for money after they received cash meant for the association.
Nwoya district was allocated Shs 290 million in 2013/2014 financial year under the youth’s livelihood program.
In 2013 government of Uganda initiated the five years youth lively hood program earmarking a total Shs265 billion to support the jobless youths mainly school dropouts aged between 20-30 years.
