Two officials arrested by the office of the Inspectorate of Government yesterday today appeared before the Regional Criminal investigation department East Kyoga to record a statement this website can independently report.
Yesterday the District Education Officer Soroti District James Oede was arrested and detained at Soroti central police station by IGG for diversion of funds amounting to 18million meant for construction of a five stanze pit latrine in Olong Primary school Lale Sub County FY 2021/2022.
This left the project incomplete with the site abandoned .while explaining; the DEO says the money was used for other activities and this tantamount to diversion of funds
The arrest occurred in the ongoing board room session with Soroti district officials with the team from Inspectorate of government led by Ann Twinomugisha Muhairwe, deputy Inspector General of Government. Who then ordered for his arrest.
Meanwhile the Acting District Engineer, Alex Oriokot was arrested for erroneous approval of construction of a district headquarters in Katine without following due process.
According to a report from IGG office, Oriekot being the district engineer went on to procure the services of George Ongango of Design line Architect in Nakatunya.
Officer inside IGG told this website that Oriekot used Ongango who only has a diploma to do the professional work of an architect.
“Instead of advising the CAO, he went to Kampala with the draft plan to be signed by a qualified architect. It’s like you going to Nasa Road to get your fake papers then you run to Makerere for the stamp of the academic registrar, it does not make your paper legit” the officer stressed.
Oriekot has also been faulted for generating the Bills of Quantities himself with the draft man Ongango. “He sat on the technical committee himself and all this other committee, he could not guide the CAO” the officer revealed.
The Deputy IGG stated that the arrested officials would face charges of abuse of office, office negligence, and other corruption-related charges, to be determined by the police in consultation with the IGG’s office.
The regional IGG’s office has been conducting an investigation into Soroti District regarding non-payment of salaries to staff and pensioners, allowances for councilors, mismanagement of assets, including district-allocated vehicles, and irregularities in the construction of the new district headquarters.
Last week chaos erupted among Soroti district councilors when a group of councilors chased and locked the office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Aggrey Muramira.
The council is now divided into two factions led by LCV Chairperson Simon Peter Edoru Ekuu and Tubur Male Councilor Bob Owiny.
