The suspects are Dr. Solomon Okello the Chief Executive Director of Countryside Harvester, an NGO, and the organization’s district coordinator Derick Oryema Jamil.
Residents of
Pader District have petitioned the Resident District Commissioner after the
police released two suspects for allegedly fleecing millions of
shillings from farmers.
The suspects
are Dr. Solomon Okello the Chief Executive Director of Countryside Harvester,
an NGO, and the organization’s district coordinator Derick Oryema Jamil.
They were
arrested in May on the orders of the Pader Resident District Commissioner,
Milton Odongo after it was alleged that the NGO had fleeced farmers 500 million
Shillings under the pretext of offering them pairs of oxen and ox ploughs in
vain.
It’s
reported that each of the 783 victims where the NGO was operating contributed 724,000
Shillings. The affected sub counties include, Pajule , Paiula, Lapul, Bongtiko,
Ajan, Atanga, Angagura and the two Town Councils of Pajule and Atanga.
The victims
are now seeking the intervention of the RDC after they were released before
being produced in court.
The LCV
Councilor Pajule Sub County Charles Komakech alleges that the Aswa River Regional Police CID Samuel Opit recently wrote a
letter directing the area DPC to release the exhibits belonging to the
organization.
According to
the letter which URN saw, two motorcycle registration numbers UFM 385A and UFM
386A belonging to the NGO should be handed over to Okello since the
organization is not concerned with the alleged matter lodged against them.
Komakech
says the matter that was being investigated was referred to the Aswa Regional
Police Headquarters where the suspects were released from and are deliberately
mishandling the case file to frustrate their prosecution.
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The LCV
Councilor Ajan Sub County Francis Anywar Mugisha wants the Inspector General of
Police to reprimand officers implicated for frustrating the case and also want
the suspects re-arrested and prosecuted.
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Pader DPC
Anthony Tukakane, said the matter was transferred to the Regional Police headquarters.
When
contacted, Damalie Nachuha, the Aswa River Region Police Commander said that she
feigned ignorance of the matter. She said that she has neither seen a copy of
the petition by the complainants nor the letter reportedly issued from the
region instructing the release of the exhibits.
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The Pader
Resident District Commissioner Milton Odongo says that he has instructed the
police to re-arrest the suspects and investigations commence.
Dan Michael Komakech
Freelancer