Shs54 million lost in Apac salary scandal

APAC.

Overpayment of salaries to some staff of Apac District Local Government has led to a loss of more than Shs54m.
The alleged irregularities in the payment of seven staff was in April, May, September, and November 2014 and extended to January 2015.

Apac District Authorities have confirmed the development blaming it on the interdicted senior accounts assistant in charge of salaries, Mr John Oduru. Mr Oduru, who was interdicted on July 1 for causing financial loss and abuse of office, allegedly overpaid himself and six other staff who are said to be his relatives and friends.

Mr Tom Superman Opwonya, the executive director of the Apac Anti-Corruption Coalition (taacc) in Lango, said a driver who was supposed to earn Shs170, 000 was being paid Shs1m. “All these people that have been overpaid salaries are either relatives or friends, and come from the same Sub-county [Nambieso],” he said.

“We identified overpayment of salaries to some officers in the months highlighted against their names and I wrote to the senior accounts assistant-salaries, Mr John Oduru, to show cause but the reason he provided was unsatisfactory,” Apac principal human resource officer, Mr Jovan Jokene, said.

The district speaker, Mr Felix Ambrosis Yine, said the incident has shown very high level of negligence and exposed high level of corruption in Apac. “This incident has indicated that there is abuse of office,” he warned.

He added: “I am going to take it up and make sure it reaches the floor of council, discussion will be made and punitive action taken against the people involved.”

Chief administrative officer Seraphine Alia confirmed the irregularity blaming it on the officer in-charge of salaries.
He said: “We are going to take a very stern action against this officer; it will send a warning to the rest that government is no longer tolerating corruption,” he said.

When contacted on Wednesday, Mr Oduru declined to comment on the matter, but instead referred this reporter to the district accounting officer.

TAACC said this is not the first time money is getting lost in Apac. The organisation officials say more than Shs6b was uncounted for the previous year.