Yumbe NRM bosses charged with misappropriating village poll funds
The Resident District Commissioner for Yumbe district, Hajji Sulaiman Lubwama Bukya, said the police have opened a file and are investigating the matter.
Yumbe Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hajji Sulaiman Lubwama Bukya. (Credit: Adam Gule)
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The police in Yumbe district on Wednesday opened charges against the National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairman for Yumbe district, Majid Haruna Aniku and his Administration officer, Rasul Adiga, over alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the Local Council under the NRM structure.
The Resident District Commissioner for Yumbe district, Hajji Sulaiman Lubwama Bukya, said the police have opened a file, and they are investigating the matter.
"These two people were called to the police to make statements, and investigations are underway", he added.
The duo were issued detention orders by the OC CID Yumbe Central Police Station, SP Pamela Aguti, on Tuesday following a case registered against them by the NRM LC1 chairperson flag bearers and the LC1 women council under the reference YUMBE GEF 011/2026.
On Wednesday, SP Collins Asea, the police spokesperson for the Northwest Nile region, confirmed the police have launched an investigation into the matter.
"Investigations initiated under reference YUMBE GEF 011/2026. Statements have been recorded from the suspects.
It's alleged that the duo misappropriated part of the sh345.2 million allocated by the NRM Secretariat to facilitate village baraza, campaigns for the NRM LC1 chairperson flag bearers, the Village NRM chairpersons' transport facilitation and the village Women Council meetings and their transport facilitation.
Investigators allege that the duo gave less money to the beneficiaries as opposed to what the national NRM Secretariat indicated in their funds disbursement guidelines.
According to the copy of the NRM communication obtained by New Vision, the NRM LC1 flag bearers were to receive sh50,000 for their campaigns and sh10,000 for their transport.
The guideline also indicated that the village Women Council structure of five people is to receive sh10,000 each to facilitate their meetings and sh10,000 each for their transport.
The NRM village chairpersons are to receive sh10,000 for their transport and another sh100,000 for the village barazas.
It’s, however, alleged that the NRM LC1 chairperson flag bearers instead received sh50,000, and the sh10,000 for their transport facilitation wasn't given.
The report also adds that, out of the sh100,000 for the village barazas, the villages were given sh50,000, and the balance of sh50,000 is still in question.
Similarly, it's alleged that the women council members received sh10,000, and the other balance of sh10,000 for them is not accounted for.
In an exclusive telephone interview with this reporter, Majid Haruna Aniku confirmed that he was called to write a statement over the alleged matter and later returned to his home.
Aniku told New Vision that he never touched money but offered a supervision role to ensure the money reached the beneficiaries.
"We received the said money with its guidelines in the circular. Every women council member is to get sh10,000 for meetings and sh10,000 for transport. The NRM LC1 flag bearers were to get sh50,000 for meetings and sh10,000 for transport and sh100,000 for village barazas," he said.
" When I received the money, I only signed for it and handed it over to the admin to be distributed to the sub-county chairpersons, who then gave it out to the villages", Aniku added.
He further confirmed that some villages received sh50,000 for barazas instead of sh100,000 as stated in the circular.
"Some villages received less money, and what exactly happened I can't explain because I wasn't there when they were giving it out", he said.
A source at Yumbe Central Police Station revealed that the duo was released on bond.
Efforts to speak to Rasul Adiga, the District NRM Administration officer, proved futile since all his known telephone numbers were unavailable at the time of filing this report at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 29.