Police in Amuru district have arrested Atiak town clerk, Ben Oluba, on suspicions of stealing three planting machines. The case of theft of government property that Oluba is facing has been registered on reference number CRB: 030/2023.
David Ongom, the Aswa regional police spokesperson, said the planting machines that have led to Oluba’s arrest were supplied to Atiak Sub-county under NUSAF Project. Ongom said the supply took place at Atiak Sub-county parking yard on Friday last week at around 2 pm.
Oluba’s woes started Martin Oketa, the Atiak Town Council Speaker intercepted Brian Mafabi, a renowned scrap dealer loading three planting machines on a vehicle from the sub-county. Oketa interrogated Mafabi and he claimed that he had bought the machines from the Town clerk Oluba as scraps at a deposit of 200,000 shillings pending an additional balance of 70,000 shillings for complete payments.
Ongom said police took action against Oluba on Monday this week and now they have intensified the hunt for Mafabi who evaded arrest. Police, according to Ongom, have recovered the three planting machines and exhibited them at Amuru police station.
“The statements were recorded from relevant witnesses and from the Town Clerk who acknowledged the theft of the said machines. He was issued a police bond but was rearrested by the DPC of Amuru pending court tomorrow (Thursday,” Ongom said.
Ongom and Oketa described Oluba’s actions as very unfortunate and a bad signal for a person of his calibre who should have been a watchdog over government property to indulge himself in such dubious behaviours.
“As a deterrent measure, we have intensified our investigations into this case up to the logical conclusion. The file has already been submitted to the Resident State Attorney, once its sanctioned, the suspect shall be arraigned in courts of Law,” Ongom said.
Oluba’s incident comes at a time when the country is in shock after ministers diverted iron sheets meant for Karamoja sub-region to their constituencies. Many ministers have used the iron sheets to roof schools in their constituencies, some have used them for their cattle byres and others have roofed their personal buildings.
Some of the government officials who have received the iron sheets include minster for Karamoja Mary Gorreti Kitutu, Prime minister Robinna Nabbanja, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, finance minister Matia Kasaija, and former Speaker who is currently deputy Prime minister Rebecca Kadaga.
Speaker Anita Among and minister Kasaija have said they never requested for the iron sheets but they were just called to pick them and they used them for public projects like schools. Speaker Among has since tasked minister Kitutu to carry her cross and should not drag any other government official into the Karamoja iron sheets saga.