Two arrested in Adjumani over mismanagement of PDM funds

Police in Adjumani district have arrested two officials from Mbgwere parish in Dziapi sub-county over alleged connivance and mismanagement of shs1.5 million from the Parish Development Model (PDM) fund intended for beneficiaries in the sub-county.

The arrests, carried out on December 9, 2024, were ordered by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Adjumani, Taban Data Peter, following numerous complaints from beneficiaries.

These complaints were centered around the PDM chairperson of Mbgwere parish, who had reportedly denied beneficiaries access to their funds for the past two years.

Sitina Muzamil, a beneficiary who applied for PDM funding in August 2023, shared her frustrations, explaining that despite fulfilling all requirements, her efforts to access the funds were futile. According to Sitina, her SIM card was allegedly used by the parish chief for fund transfers to other beneficiaries, which led to irregularities.

“It was in August 2023 when I applied for the loan under our group, Alendro. We were first asked to pay shs 5,000 for the loan form, and later shs20,000 as a processing fee. In October this year, we were summoned to Dziapi headquarters and asked to pay shs5,000 for data profiling.

“But in November, when I was told to withdraw my money from the bank, I found my account empty. Meanwhile, the parish chief had been using my SIM card to transfer funds to others,” Sitina narrated.

Investigations revealed that shs1.5 million had been overpaid to a beneficiary who was not a member of the Mbgwere parish PDM SACCO. The individual, identified as a resident of Logoangwa parish, was brought in by the SACCO chairperson, Anyama Emmanuel.

It was further revealed that Anyama had allowed his relatives, who were not eligible members, to benefit from the funds.

In his defense, Anyama admitted to involving non-members and expressed regret for his actions. “I thought her name was profiled, so I asked her to withdraw her money. When she found her account empty, I realized my mistake. I will pay her back,” he pledged.

Security operatives also detained Mawadri Sunday, a non-member who allegedly received the overpaid shs1.5 million. Both suspects are under investigation.

RDC Taban Data Peter condemned the mismanagement of PDM funds and pledged to conduct a thorough audit of all PDM SACCOs in the district.

“We received complaints that the chairperson of Mbgwere parish SACCO brought in outsiders to benefit from PDM funds. We also discovered that a legitimate beneficiary went to the bank only to find her account empty. This embezzlement cannot be tolerated,” Taban said.

“The president has been very clear—anyone found mismanaging PDM funds will face the law. This is a strong warning to all PDM SACCO chairpersons across the district,” he warned.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of alleged PDM fund mismanagement in Adjumani district. Earlier this year, four other SACCO leaders were arrested over similar allegations.

The Parish Development Model is a government initiative aimed at enhancing development at the grassroots, improving household incomes, and livelihoods.