Three local leaders in Kalaki District have been arraigned before the Kaberamaido Magistrates Court on charges of obtaining money by false pretences and conspiracy to commit a felony, in connection with alleged extortion of beneficiaries under the Parish Development Model (PDM) programme.
The accused are Olingo Joseph, the Parish Chief of Okungure Parish in Kakure Sub-County; Edwonu James, the Chairperson of the Opungure-Kakure PDM SACCO; and Ocepa Josphat, the SACCO’s Secretary.
The arraignment was carried out this afternoon by the Anti-Corruption Unit of State House Uganda (@AntiGraft_SH), working jointly with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (@CID1_UG) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (@ODPPUGANDA). The three were subsequently remanded until June 16, 2026.
Prosecutors allege that the suspects, together with others still at large, unlawfully collected money from hundreds of intended beneficiaries of the PDM initiative in Opungure Parish during 2024. It is alleged that they falsely promised to include the victims’ names on lists of those eligible to receive support under the Opungure-Kakure PDM SACCO, which was not the case.
Authorities say the accused exploited the government-backed poverty alleviation programme by presenting themselves as gatekeepers to access funds, thereby deceiving vulnerable community members seeking support.
The Anti-Corruption Unit said the case highlights continued efforts to crack down on corruption and fraud targeting government social protection programmes, particularly the Parish Development Model, which is aimed at improving household incomes at the grassroots level.
Investigations into the wider network of individuals linked to the alleged scheme are ongoing, with authorities indicating that more arrests could follow.
