Eight Arrested in Kabale District allegedly for confiscating sim cards and extorting funds from the PDM Beneficiaries.

KABALE: The Kabale District Deputy RDC, Mr. Andrew Ronald Bakaki, has arrested eight parish chiefs from Kibuga and Butanda sub-counties, as well as the chairperson of the Karubanda PDM Sacco in Southern Division, Kabale Municipality.

The arrests were made due to allegations of extortion from beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) program with over 50 million shillings suspected to have been embezzled.

The arrested individuals include one Mubangizi Herbert, the parish chief of Kisibo Parish in Kibuga sub-county, who confiscated over 25 sim cards from beneficiaries and extorted money from them and Ahimbisibwe Loyce, chairperson of Karubanda PDM Sacco, who extorted money from beneficiaries and then returned only 100,000 shillings to them.

Others are Kakuru Maxison, Byamukama Daniel, Rugambwa Johnbosco, Akanyijuka Samuel, Niwagaba Deick, and Mucunguzi Fred, who submitted lists of beneficiaries but failed to distribute funds to them.

The Kabale district D/RDC Ronald Bakaki vowed to investigate and arrest all individuals suspected of extorting money and expressed concerns over the confiscation of sim cards from beneficiaries, which is contrary to PDM guidelines.

Mubangizi Herbert, one of the suspects behind the sim card confiscation, defended himself, stating that there was no network in Kisibo parish, which led to the confiscation of sim cards.

When asked why he never returned the lines to the beneficiaries, Mubangizi remained silent.”