Arrested Arua City Officials Get Temporary Freedom
The suspects being ordered to board the waiting vehicle shortly after their arrest on Tuesday. COURTESY PHOTO
ARUA. The two Arua city senior officials and a contractor who were arrested on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 over allegations of corruption, have got temporary freedom to come back home.
This is after the Anti-Corruption Court presided over by His Worship Abert Asiimwe, granted them cash bail on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
Anthony Dradria, the Arua city senior civil engineer and Sam B. Adriko, the Arua city Principal Treasurer were granted cash bail of shs1.5m and shs1m respectively while Godfrey Adoroti, the Managing Director of Godmax Services Ltd was temporary freed at shs3m cash. Each of their sureties was granted a non-cash bail.
The trio was arrested by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) for inflating payment for the installation of solar security lights on Oluko Road in Arua city.
According to IGG, Anthony Dradria, Godfrey Adoroti and Sam B. Adriko, between 1st January 2022 and 31st May 2023, in Arua City Council, being employed as Senior Civil Engineer Arua City, Managing Director Godmax Services Ltd, and Principal Treasurer Arua City, respectively, irregularly prepared a Certificate of Practical Completion for the installation of 32 solar security lights on Oluka Road that were inflated by UGX 24,309,153; requisitioned and received the inflated monies; and approved payment of the inflated monies respectively; knowing or having reason to believe that their actions would cause financial loss to Arua City, and indeed caused loss of the said UGX 24,309,153 to Arua City.
The IGG further revealed that: “Anthony Dradria, on 30th May 2022, in Arua City, being employed as Senior Civil Engineer Arua City, in abuse of the authority of his office, did arbitrary acts when he irregularly prepared a Certificate of Practical Completion for the installation of 32 solar security lights on Oluka Road that were inflated by UGX 24,309,153.”
However, while appearing before court the suspects pleaded not guilty to the counts slapped on them.
They were later granted cash bail and ordered to reappear in the same court on December 12, 2024.