Some of the civil servants in Arua city who masqueraded as artistes, food vendors, boda boda riders and waitresses and benefited from the Covid-19 relief aid to the vulnerable persons have promised to return the money.
However, their confession before MPs and willingness to return the money did not save them as they were handed over to the parliamentary police for more interrogation.
The officials from Arua city led by the Acting Town Clerk Paul Bataza and the city mayor Sam Wadri spent part of yesterday before the Local Government Accounts Committee to answer queries related to the alleged irregularities in the compilation of data and distribution of the Covid-19 relief aid to the vulnerable persons in Arua city.
They, however, did not waste the committee’s time as majority of the junior officers confessed having masqueraded as waitresses, artists, Boda-boda riders to receive the money.
In the same interface, the committee also discovered that a one data entrant used the credentials of a prominent reverend in Arua City and received the money.
The committee, chaired by MP Martin Ojara Mapenduzi also tasked the officials to explain why majority of the boda boda riders were women and why government teachers masqueraded as private teachers and received the Covid-19 relief aid.
The committee also discovered that majority of the councillors in Arua city also registered as waitresses, artists and received the Shs 100,000 meant for the vulnerable persons.
In the end, the officials were handed to police for further interrogation.
