The Inspectorate of Government (IG), working in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force, has arrested three retired head teachers for allegedly causing a financial loss of sh99.9m to the government. 

The head teachers of primary schools in Arua District are Jackson Abidrabo, Mike Oliver Mulander and Samuel Darlington Acidri. 

The three teachers were arrested together with two officials of Arua District Local Government on Wednesday, September 13. 

The officials are Israel Echoku, the Principal Human Resource Officer and Natal Opima, the Senior Accounts Assistant. 

Echoku was one of the officials from Arua District that was in June this year, handed over to the Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation over failure to account for funds used during the financial year (FY) 2020/2021 by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee-Local Government after scrutinising the Auditor General’s report on various West Nile districts. 

The five suspects are expected to appear at the Anti-Corruption Court in Kololo, Kampala, on Thursday, September 14. 

A statement released by the IG dated September 13, 2023, states that the suspects allegedly caused financial loss to the Government, contrary to Section 20 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2009. 

According to the law, a person who does or fails to do any act knowing or having reason to believe that the act or omission will cause financial loss to the government, bank, credit institution, insurance company or a public body commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 14 years or both. 

IG investigations reveal that Echoku and Opima irregularly made double payments of gratuity amounting to sh99,937,557 to Abidrabo Mulander and Acidri, between July 2009 and June 2020, with knowledge or belief that their actions would cause financial loss to the government.