Gulu CDO faces arrest for swindling PWDs money
The money the Pido swindled was part of a five million shilling, which was disbursed last year in March to the Owalo Farm Akem-kwene PWD group under a special interest grant.
By Christopher Nyeko
Gulu: The Community Development Officer (CDO) attached to Bungatira sub-county in Gulu district, Mr. Pido Stephen Kenyi, is wanted after failing to refund a total of seven hundred thousand shillings.
Mr. Pido fraudulently obtained the above sum of money from Owaloo farm Akem-Kwene person with disability group last year and swindled it.
The wanted officer was given one day on Thursday (yesterday), failing to adhere to the risk of being arrested today, as revealed by the district authorities.
The money the Pido swindled was part of a five million shilling, which was disbursed last year in March to the Owalo Farm Akem-kwene PWD group under a special interest grant.
The group had already spent some of the money on purchasing 11 pigs for their piggery project.
However, it is alleged that Pido Stephen Kenyi, who was by then the community development office for Owaloo sub-county, conned the money from the group members, promising to deliver feed for the pig, something he failed to do.
The group has since reported the cases to the district authority; however, nothing much was done to see that their conned money was recovered from Pido.
In September 2023, the district executive committee directed the CAO to deduct Pido’s monthly salary to compensate the affected PWD group but it was not implemented.
Meanwhile, on December 1, 2023, Pido wrote a letter to the Office of the CAO committing that he was willing to refund the money. In his letter dated December 1, 2023, which was seen by Favour FM, Pido was scheduled to make the first payment of 350,000 shillings on December 6, 2023, and the second payment was scheduled to be made on January 6, 2024, a promise he did not adhere to.
Atim Vicky, the Gulu district LC5 vice chairperson, says Mr. Pido had informed her office that he had made the payment, but when she cross-checked with the secretary of the group, she found that Pido had not made any payment.
However, Christopher, the district chairman, says they have given Pido only today to pay back all the money. If he fails to do so, he shall face arrest and be interdicted from the office.
An attempt to get a comment from Pido was futile since his known telephone number was not going through.
Onen Stephen, the secretary of the group, told ugreports.co.ug that due to difficulties in getting fed, the group members have shared the pig amongst themselves.
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