Bukedea district officials interdicted for misuse of funds. The two (2) Bukedea District Local Government officials have been interdicted for professional misconduct.
The officials are Ben Okou, the Senior Health Educator, and David Isaac Emuron.
It is alleged that Okou was arrested for alleged misuse of covid-19 funds meant to pay allowances for the frontline health workers, village health teams (VHTs), and other district health officials fighting the pandemic.
Okou was entrusted with the money to pay the VHTs in Kachumbala County and each was to get 150,000 Shillings however, he only paid 100,000 Shillings.
Emuron, the district store manager was arrested over the mysterious disappearance of 1,648 hoes worth 18 Million Shillings. The missing hoes were supposed to be supplied to the Aligoi sub-county.
Last month, Geoffrey Okiswa, the Resident District Commissioner of Bukedea said that Emuron was arrested because of professional negligence and laziness. Last week, Okou and Emuron appeared in court on charges of theft.
Maira Joseph Mukasa, the Chief Administrative Officer Bukedea confirms the interdiction of the two officers which he says has been done per the law.
The Ministry of Public Services Act provides that ‘’an officer may be interdicted when disciplinary proceedings for his/her dismissal are being undertaken or are about to be undertaken. Interdiction may also take place when criminal charges are pending.
In April 2020, four top Ugandan government officials were arrested by the anti-corruption unit in the State House, led by Lt.Col. Edith Nakalema following reports that they inflated COVID-19 relief food prices causing government losses in excess of $528,000.
The defendants worked in the office of the then Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and these include; Permanent Secretary Christine Guwatudde Kintu, and accounting officer Joel Wanjala, assistant procurement commissioner Fred Lutimba, and Martin Owor, head of COVID-19 relief management who ran a program to provide food relief for the most vulnerable amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Also, read; Emyooga UGX130 millions lost in Kole district and Top Ugandan Officials Arrested in COVID-19 Purchasing Scandal
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