Three Amolatar District officials are in custody after being arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit for alleged embezzlement of about 46 Million shillings.
According to the unit, the money was meant to finance construction of three community roads including a road stretching from Amolatar town to Amai Hospital, road from Odyak Trading Centre to Kitaleba landing site in Muntu Sub County and a road stretching from Amolatar health centre to Abeja Landing site in Arwotcek Sub County.
But, the Chief Finance Officer, Sylvester Alex Ongom, Engineering Assistant, Robert Okidi and Senior Accounts Assistant, Douglas Ongwen in- charge Engineering Department embezzled it and could not explain the expenditure when Col Edith Nakalema, the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption unit visited their area on Wednesday.
The officials allegedly presented false accountability of about 46 Million shillings, part of 180 million shillings which was sent to the district during the first quarter of the current financial year.
According to Col Edith Nakalema, the Head of the State House Anti-Corruption unit, the officials are alleged to have embezzled the funds and presented false accountability claiming to have spent the said money to finance part construction work on the three roads.
She also ordered that seven officials including acting District Engineer, Edward Orech, Secretary Works, James Auna, Store Assistant, Geoffrey Odyek and former CAO, Pius Epaju be interrogated by the police.
Nixon Obim the district Internal Auditor, pinned the officials of allegedly embezzling the funds during the Wednesday public consultation meeting held at Amolatar district headquarters.
He told Nakalema and her team that he discovered that the officials had falsely accounted for the 46M shillings since construction works had not been done.
The three officials are currently held in Lira Central Police Station pending transfer to Kampala.
