Police in Nebbi district, West Nile have arrested a Grade 2 Magistrate, Kerican Peter Prosper, for stealing Shs402 million intended for land compensation. He has been charged in court with theft of compensation funds.
According to Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, Kerican stands accused of diverting the money, which was originally designated to compensate his relatives for their land.
Enanga explained that an investigation revealed that in January 2022, at Angal Lower Parish, Nyaravur Sub-County, Nebbi district, Kerican was granted the authority to receive cash compensation on behalf of his uncles and aunties. The funds were transferred to his bank account at Housing Finance, as he was perceived to be a reliable and trustworthy individual by the beneficiaries.
The money in question had been disbursed by the Ministry of Defence as compensation for land acquired by the UPDF back in 2001.
The police are actively scrutinizing how Kerican utilized the misappropriated funds.