Police in Rubanda District yesterday arrested Bubare Subcounty Chief, Benjamin Asiimwe after he reportedly tried bribing the acting District Resident Commissioner – RDC who had summoned him for questioning over embezzled Shs. 15 million.
According to Rubanda District Acting RDC Eric Ssewandigi, Mr. Asiimwe has been evading arrest since a special audit was carried out and established that up to shs. 15 million was missing from the Bubare Subcounty coffers. Part of the missing funds were for paying a supplier, while the rest was local revenue.
Ssewandigi added that he summoned Asiimwe to his office, but the subcounty chief noticed that he was heading to jail if he went to see the RDC in his office at the District Headquarters, so he requested for a one on one meeting with the RDC at Capricon Hotel in Kabale Municipality.
The RDC says he agreed to Asiimwe’s request but he went with a Police man.
“When we reached at the Hotel, I asked the Police Officer to stay in the Car, and he (Asiimwe) thought I was alone. So, he tried giving me a parcel, but immediately I called in the Police officer to arrest him without even opening the parcel to see what the content was,” RDC Ssewandigi said.
The RDC said Asiimwe was subsequently transported back to Rubanda District where he is currently detained, awaiting prosecution.
“I want to call upon all civil servants in Rubanda District to do their job without fail, always be ready to account for all the Government funds that have been released to their sub-counties, and none of them will be saved by bribes in case it is time for giving accountability” Ssewandigi told this reporter on phone.”
Mr. Eric Ssewandigi who arrived in Rubanda District as Deputy RDC in 2022, has been at the front line of fighting corruption in the District located in Southwestern Uganda, ordering for a number of arrests in relation to graft, at the District Headquarters ,Sub-counties and Town Councils.
Some of his other most recently related interventions in the fight against corruption include the arrest of Rubanda District Production Officer Benon Kahangi who reportedly pocketted funds meant for procurement processes in his office, plus a number of parish chiefs, and parish sacco managers charged with embezzlement and extortion in the Parish Development Model -PDM.
During the Rubanda District Belated Women’s day celebrations on June 28,2024, State Minister of Finance Henry Musasizi recognized Ssewandigi as an uncompromised hard working RDC who has contributed a lot of efforts in the fight against corruption in the District.
Musasizi who doubles as Rubanda East MP and NRM Chairperson Rubanda District commended Ssewandigi and asked him to “keep it up” adding that apart from fighting corruption, the RDC was part of the reason why security was stable in the District.
“He is now our acting RDC, promoted from Deputy RDC because of working hard,” Musasizi announced.
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