Police in Lira District are investigating a group of journalists who allegedly formed a ghost Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) to defraud President Yoweri Museveni.
North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, Mr David Ongom Mudong, said a section of journalists allegedly forged names and signatures of more than 50 of their colleagues from Lango Sub- region which they submitted to the minister for Presidency seeking support from the Mr Museveni.
“We have opened a general enquiry file number 16/2016 at Lira Central Police Station after receiving complaints from some journalists that their names and signatures have been used fraudulently by some of their colleagues to register a Sacco group called Lango Journalists Savings and Loans Association,” Mr Ongom told this reporter on Tuesday.
The complainants have since distanced themselves from the group, claiming they have neither joined nor been contacted by the ghost group’s members.
“We have recorded statements from Akao Catherine, Richard Omara, Emmy Akwam and Frank Jean Okot who are among the 50 journalists affected,” the police spokesperson added.
He said they have already identified the suspects. “We have asked them to go and record their statements, but if they refuse, they will be arrested.”
Mr Ongom said one of the suspects still at large told them that the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Lira, Mr Robert Abak, was aware about the formation of the Sacco in question.
But when contacted, the RDC told police that the minister for Presidency, Ms Esther Mbayo had only suggested that journalists in Lango should be organised in a group and form a Sacco if they want government to support them. The RDC said Ms Mbayo made the suggestion during her recent tour of government programmes and projects in Lango.
It is against this background that a section of journalists allegedly created a non-existence Sacco to defraud the government. They had demanded that government gives them Shs50 million to help them alleviate poverty in their households.