By Weswa Ronnie
SIRONKO
Police in Sironko have today Saturday, 7th September, 2024 arrested a Community Development Officer (CDO) and a Parish Chief on allegations of extorting money from Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries.
The two staff are Morris Magozewa, parish chief of Bugibuji parish and Emmanuel Wabeya community development officer attached to Busita sub county.
According to Bernard Wamukota, the LC3 Chairperson of Busita Sub County, community members alerted police who arrested Magozewa while soliciting money from them before being registered for the PDM program.
He says that on Thursday, Rita Namuwenge, the Emyoga national coordinator also PDM Eastern region consultant with other officers from PDM Secretariat held a PDM district evaluation meeting at Buwalasi sub county head office where people were told that this program is free 100%.
He says that parish chiefs have been extorting money between 50,000/= to 100,000/= from beneficiaries but after getting this information, they have started reporting the Parish Chiefs asking for money from them.
Frank Muzoora, the Sironko district police Commander when contacted on phone confirmed the arrest of the two saying they are currently being detained at Sironko Central police station.
The parish chief was arrested with an exhibit of 300,000/= and later police summoned Wabeya who was also later detained after Magozewa accused him of being the one sending him to collect money from PDM beneficiaries.
