By Okidi Patrick
KABERAMAIDO — The State House Anti-Corruption Unit has clamped down on local financial exploitation in Kalaki District, arraigning three top parish officials before the Kaberamaido Magistrates Court for allegedly extorting money from vulnerable Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries.
The accused officials were formally charged with obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy to commit a felony. Following the court session, they were remanded to prison until June 16, 2026, as investigations into the multi-million graft scheme expand.
The Accused Officials
The three remanded suspects key to the running of the government flagship wealth creation program in the district include:
- Olingo Joseph: The Parish Chief of Okungure Parish, Kakure Sub-County.
- Edwonu James: The Chairperson of the Opungure-Kakure PDM SACCO.
- Ocepa Josphat: The Secretary of the Opungure-Kakure PDM SACCO.
The Extortion Syndicate
State prosecutors told the court that during the year 2024, the trio, acting in collusion with several other rogue actors who are still at large, ran an illicit extortion racket targeting hundreds of impoverished rural beneficiaries across Opungure Parish.
The officials reportedly weaponized their administrative offices by demanding unauthorized cash payments from the locals. They falsely claimed that the extorted money was a mandatory requirement to have the beneficiaries’ names approved and short-listed on the official payroll eligible for financial support from the Opungure-Kakure PDM SACCO.
State House Intervenes
The swift arraignment follows an aggressive field investigation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, acting on intelligence and bitter outcries from exploited community members who were being blocked from accessing the presidential wealth funds.
Legal experts and anti-graft investigators have signaled that the hunt for their runaway accomplices is highly active. The unit has vowed to clean up local government structures to ensure that PDM funds reach their intended grassroots destinations without paying heavy administrative bribes.
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