Lira city PDM chairperson sentenced to 23 months in prison
Offenses involving obtaining money by false pretence carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison upon conviction.
Sarah Atim, the chairperson Ipito Aweno Savings and Credit Co-operative Union (SACCO) in Lira city escorted Prison officers after court late last year. (New Vision/Files) west division, on Monday (March 10, 2025).
By Douglas Mubiru
Journalists @New Vision
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A 45-year-old woman has been sentenced to one year and 11 months in prison after the Lira Magistrates' Court in Lira City, Lira district, found her guilty of six counts of obtaining money by false pretence.
Chief Magistrate Joe Fay Adoko handed down the sentence to Sarah Atim, the chairperson of Ipito Aweno Savings and Credit Co-operative Union in the city's west division, on Monday, March 10, 2025.
According to the prosecution, the convict, Atim, illegally solicited money from various Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries in Lira district to help them access their funds. The state argued that this action violated Section 305 of the Penal Code Act.
Offenses involving obtaining money by false pretence carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison upon conviction.
In sentencing the convict, Magistrate Adoko stated, "You are hereby sentenced to one year, 11 months, three weeks imprisonment, and you have a right to appeal this court's decision within 14 days if you are not satisfied with the decision of this court."
Atim, who was arrested by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) in collaboration with Uganda Police, has been facing the charges since June 1 of last year. She will serve her sentence at Lira Central Prison, as indicated in the court documents.
About PDM
The Parish Development Model (PDM) is a government multi-sectoral strategy aimed at reducing poverty by transitioning 39% of households (3.5 million households, or 16.1 million Ugandans) from a subsistence economy to a cash-based economy.
This strategy is drawn from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto and its ideological core principles, particularly in relation to socio-economic transformation. PDM focuses on priority sectors such as commercial agriculture, services, ICT, and industrialisation.
The government defines the subsistence economy as a cashless mode of production primarily relying on natural resources to meet basic household needs. It includes activities such as hunting, gathering, and rudimentary agriculture with minimal surplus for trade or sale.