Mbale City Production Officer arrested over theft of PDM cash

The  Mbale City Production Officer was detained for allegedly misappropriating Shs8 million Parish Development Model (PDM) cash.

Mr Simon Maasa, the Mbale City PDM focal person who is also the Production Officer was arrested on Thursday evening on orders of Ms Jovrine Kaliisa Kyomukama, the PDM deputy national coordinator following a tip-off by a whistleblower.

The Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika, on Friday confirmed that the suspect was in their custody.

“We arrested the official on orders of Ms Kaliisa. The suspect was detained on charges of embezzlement and corruption. We are currently doing investigations and once we are done, we shall arraign him in court,” he said.

PDM is a new poverty alleviation programme that the government rolled out in the last financial year to get more than three million peasant households into the money economy.

Ms Kaliisa said the arrest followed several complaints raised by PDM beneficiaries and leaders.

“We have arrested Dr Maasa after failing to account for the PDM money. We have done our investigations and we handed him to the police to do their investigation and the anti-corruption unit will also carry out theirs. We have been receiving complaints from people of Mbale,” she said.

The Mbale Resident City Commissioner, Mr Rex Aachilla said: “We had a meeting with Ms Kaliisa who came to Mbale city yesterday. The suspect was called and interviewed. He confessed to committing the offence and she ordered the arrest.”

This is not the first incident where a government official has been arrested for misappropriating the PDM cash.

In August 2022, more than a dozen officials in Kitgum District were arrested over allegations of misappropriating Shs526m Parish Development Model (PDM) cash.

In September 2022, the Chief Administrative Officer of Rwampara District, Mr Stephen Rubaihayo, and the production officer, Mr Athanathias Gumisiriza, were arrested over alleged misappropriation of over Shs48 million.

In January 2023, the former Nwoya District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Mr Andrew Leru, handed over Shs30.6 million to the Parish Development Model (PDM) secretariat that had earlier gone missing