Lira CAO, Arua CFO arrested over alleged Shs200m diversion
WEST NILE: Two West Nile officials and a retired district planner who previously worked with Arua District Local Government have been arrested over the alleged diversion of Shs200m in development funds.
Andeku Shaphan Glead Avua, the retired planner, was arrested in Arua together with Roy Angumaniyo, the district’s Chief Finance Officer. Ismael Ochengel, the Chief Administrative Officer of Lira District, was arrested separately in Lira.
The arrests were carried out by the Inspectorate of Government over allegations of diverting funds allocated to Arua District during the 2017/2018 financial year.
According to the prosecution, the three officials allegedly diverted Shs 200 million from the Discretionary Development Equalisation Grant (DDEG), which had been earmarked for the procurement of fixed assets.
Investigators allege that the money was instead spent on purposes unrelated to its intended use.
At the time, Ochengel was the Chief Administrative Officer of Arua District, Angumaniyo was the Chief Finance Officer, while Avua served as the district planner.
The Inspectorate of Government says the suspects will be arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, over the alleged diversion and abuse of office.
The case raises questions about the management and accountability of public funds allocated to local governments for development projects and service delivery.
The Inspectorate of Government says it remains committed to pursuing public officers suspected of abusing their positions and mismanaging government resources.
