RONNY OKOT

Gulu City Central Police Station are holding four executive members of Parish Development Model (PDM) Sacco in Pakwelo for allegedly soliciting UGX 720,000 from members for registration.

The suspects who include Martine Nokrach, the chairperson of the Sacco, Otema Geoffrey, the Mobiliser, Akello Betty, Treasurer and Bongomin Charles Loan Officer were arrested yesterday morning at around 11; 00 am from Pakwelo Cell, Laroo-Pece division by Jane Francis Okili Amongin, the Gulu Resident City Commissioner.

 Four Parish Development Model (PDM) Sacco executive members in Pakwelo are currently being held at Gulu City Central Police Station. This comes after a tip-off from one of the members, revealing that the Chairperson of the Sacco had solicited UGX 720,000 from 38 members. Each member was asked to contribute UGX 20,000 for registration.

The suspects were immediately handed over to police and exhibits in the form of cash worth UGX 720,000 were recovered by police support with investigation.

Jane Francis Okili Amongin, the Gulu Resident City Commissioner, said the four will have to explain to police why they were soliciting money from Sacco members yet the PDM guidelines don’t allow members to contribute any money.

 Okili added that the suspects will be taken to court for frustrating the government's effort to fight poverty in Gulu City.

The Parish Development Model (PDM) is an initiative by President Yoweri Museveni as a strategy for organizing and delivering public and private sector interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level as the lowest economic planning unit.

The government has earmarked 1.1 trillion for the project

STORY COMPILED BY Job Ronny Okot FOR COU Family TV news AT 8