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CID probes 42 Saccos for embezzling teachers’ funds
CID Spox Charles Twine
As part of the initiatives to boost teachers’ welfare following numerous strikes over poor pay which was later complicated by COVID-19, President Yoweri Museveni pledged to provide UGX 25billion to support their Savings and Credit Cooperation Organisation (Saccos).
Museveni made a personal donation of UGX 2billion and directed the Finance Ministry to release UGX 20billion.
In October last year, the Education and Sports Minister, Janet Kataha Museveni said the government had finally released the money.
In this regard, Government asked teachers to enroll in existing Saccos or form new ones to access the money that would be channeled through the Microfinance Support Center.
The Criminal Investigations Directorate(CID) has since established that more than 100 Saccos benefited from the money.
However, Charles Twine, the CID Spokesperson says that their investigations have so far established that 42 Saccos did not deliver the money to the beneficiaries.
It’s upon this basis that CID is hunting more than 70 teachers accused of swindling the money.
He says that they have so far arrested two suspects in Iganga and charged them with embezzlement.
“CID has since sent detectives from the economic crime desk to gather relevant documents from the affected Saccos and ensure all the culprits are apprehended,” he said.
“It is alleged that the Sacco officials asked some teachers to pay a membership fee, which was never refunded,” he added.
Twine further said that CID has recorded more than 20 complaints from affected teachers.
He however, urged all teachers affected to come forward and record statements to aid the prosecution of the suspects.
He said that each of the 42 Saccos under investigation had not less than 10 members.
“This means over 400 teachers could have lost their membership fees. It is not yet clear how much money the Sacco officials embezzled,” he said.
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