Arua City Officials in Court Over UGX 24 Million Fraud

Two senior officials from Arua City, along with the managing director of Godmax Services Ltd, are set to appear in the Anti-Corruption Court on October 16, 2024. They are accused of causing a financial loss to the government amounting to shillings 24 million. The officials are Anthony Dradria, a senior civil engineer in Arua City, Sam Adriko, the principal treasurer, and Godfrey Adoroti, the managing director of Godmax Services Ltd.

The prosecution alleges that the accused caused this financial loss by inflating payments for the installation of solar security lights on Oluko Road in Arua City. The case centers on actions taken between January 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. During this period, the accused are said to have irregularly prepared a Certificate of Practical Completion for the installation of 32 solar security lights, inflating the total payment by sh24 million.

According to the prosecution, the payments for the project were requisitioned and approved by the accused officials, who knew or had reason to believe that their actions would result in financial loss to Arua City. The prosecution claims that their actions indeed caused a loss of the stated amount to the city.

In addition to the allegations of financial loss, the prosecution has stated that the accused abused their authority. They are accused of performing arbitrary acts by preparing the Certificate of Practical Completion for the installation of the solar security lights, again resulting in the inflated cost.

Under the Anti-Corruption Act, the offence of causing financial loss carries a maximum penalty of 14 years of imprisonment upon conviction. The accused were arrested by officials from the Inspectorate of Government on October 15, 2024, and their case will now be heard in court.

The allegations against these officials raise serious questions about the management of public funds in Arua City.

Table: Key Details of the Case Against Arua Officials