Police summons Gulu district boss

Gulu: Police in Gulu have summoned the district boss, Opiyo Christopher Ateker, to write a statement and provide the police with sufficient evidence on the ongoing investigation of swindling 10 million shillings in UWEP funds.

Currently, the police in Gulu are investigating five members of the false group Ajanyi Kale Watwero produce buying and selling who are alleged to have connived with Ali Danile, the parish chief of Pagik Parish in Paicho Sub County, and formed the false group.

The above people formed the group last year and swindled 10 million shillings, the fund that was meant to benefit real Ajanyi Kacel Watwero producers, buying and selling with 15 members.

Opiyo Christopher Ateker, the Gulu district LCV chairperson, told ugreports.co.ug that he was summoned on January 18, 2024, by the police, who are doing investigations.

‘’I have been summoned by police to provide them with sufficient evidence I have obtained as head of the district executive committee,’’ he confirmed.

He disclosed that his team went up to UWEP secretariats and established that the real group that was supposed to benefit from UWEP was Ajanyi Produce, buying and selling with 15 members, but not the one with only 5 members.

The district boss added that he was going to deliver this evidence to the police in Bucoro so that the corrupt individuals who were involved in the syndicates could be prosecuted.

Police in the Gulu district last year, on December 28, picked four people from the Paicho sub-county in Gulu over alleged embezzlement of 10 million shillings that was allocated to Ajanyi Kacel Watwero for buying and selling in the financial years 2022-2023 under the Uganda Women Entrepreneur Project; however, these suspects were released the following day on police bond.

The arrest followed an order from the deputy RDC of Gulu district, Mr. Cosmas James Okidi, who directed the police to investigate the matter.

Those who were arrested in December last year include Ali Daniel, the Parish Chief of Pagik Parish in Paicho sub-county, Lamwaka Prossy, Atimango Grace, and Aryemo Milly. The trio is the executive of the false Ajanyi Kacel Watero produce buying and selling who were allegedly formed to swindle the money from the real Ajanyi group, which has 15 members.

Okidi had said he swung into action following several attempts by the genuine “Ajanyi produce buying and selling with 15 members who claimed that their group was appropriated UWEP funds. However, Mr. Ali Daniel, who is the parish chief, went and formed another group with only five members and diverted the funds that were supposed to benefit the real group.

Tala Rose, the secretary of affected Ajanyi produce buying and selling earlier on, told this publication that their group was already informed by Ali that they were appropriated 10 million shillings and were in the process of opening their group account.

Rose says she became suspicious in July 2023 after learning that another group with the same name was formed by Atimango Grace, who was one of their group members.

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