Henry Oluka, the acting Commissioner in Office of the Attorney General (AG) in-charge of war debt compensation for the greater north has refuted allegation that he benefited from part of the 5 billion shillings advanced to members of Acholi War Debt Claimants Association (AWDCA).
Oluka was answering a barrage of questions from leaders from the Acholi sub region recently in Gulu town after it emerged that five individuals benefited from a 5 billion shillings, part of fund released to AWDCA by government.
This was after controversial Aruu County MP Odonga- Otto, alleged that the 5 billion shillings was ring-fenced in the Ministry of Finance and shared among five individuals.
The MP, however, did not reveal names.
According to Odonga- Otto, despite a deal that was struck between Acholi leaders and government that the money should only be released after the 2016 general elections, the compensation fund disappeared under unclear circumstance.
The Agago District Woman Member of Parliament (MP), Franka Judith Akello, says Oluka’s name was mentioned several times during budget and finance committees’ meetings in Parliament on how the compensation was conducted in Acholi.
Akello said a report by Ministry of Finance indicates that officials from the Attorney General’s office created ‘ghost’ beneficiaries were individuals received compensation for losing bicycle instead of animals.
The Agago legislator questioned how such names ended up in the list of claimants who are demanding cattle compensation despite verifications exercise which was conducted.
However Oluka denied any involvement saying he has never touched any single money meant for compensation.
Oluka says he can move around the sub region head high because his hands are clean.
The Commissioner added that he knows how personal this money (for cattle compensation is) to individuals who lost their animals and he cannot rob them off what belongs to them.
Oluka got support from Kilak County MP Gilbert Olanya who said he was certain that Oluka is not among the five unnamed individuals who allegedly swindled the 5 billion shillings earmarked for war claimants in Acholi sub region.
MP Olanya explained that on several occasions, Oluka has put to task executives of the war debt claimants association to provide full accountability on funds advanced to them by government.
Olanya said revealed that this has led to friction between the verification team led by Oluka and that led by the war debt claimants.
A preliminary verification report indicates that government has so far lost 2.5 billion shillings to 4,000 ‘ghost’ claimants.
Each of the claimants received around 600,000 shillings per cattle head lost during the conflict in northern Uganda.
In 2014, High Court judge, Justice John Eudes Kateirima ordered the embattled Chairperson of the association, Noah Opwonya and his executive to account for 7.1 billion shillings from government.
