By Morish Dramadri

Arua

The Arua district senior Environment officer of Arua district Joachim Andiandu is in police custody for allegedly embezzling about 20 million shillings out of the 40 million shillings from Abamba village saving group in Ajia Sub County under the DRDIP project’s environmental restoration component.

Joachim Andiandu who doubles as the DRDIP desk officer of Arua district was arrested on Monday 15^th January 2024 together with Owen Onzima a community facilitator under the same project and detained at Odumi central police station and a case file SD ref; CRB 011/2024 was opened against the two after the community reported that on 17^th December 2023 the suspects picked the money on pretense to be given to some top district leaders.

Geoffrey Okiswa the Arua Resident district commissioner confirmed the arrest. “It is very unfortunate that yesterday he (Andiandu Joachim) developed an appetite on corruption tendency to siphon out at least 20million from a group who expected to receive 40 million. We condemn corruption in the strongest terms possible”, said Okiswa.

Hon. Alfred Okuonzi the Arua district chairman however said this arrest came when the inquiry they made on the matter proved futile as the suspect denied picking the 20 million from the group. “I have always warned them to be corruption free, when the whistleblowers made the noise I called him here to inquire from him, he denied”, Okuonzi revealed.

But Boniface Alioni the Arua district National Resistance Movement, NRM party chairman called upon the corruption fighting agencies to take interest in this case seriously. “I want to urge the corruption fighting agencies including state house anti-corruption unit to get interested in this DRDIP especially in Arua district,” Alioni requested

COVER PHOTO: A file photo of Joachim Andiandu By Morish Dramadri