Pader District HR officer Arrested Over Shs 2bn Pension Payment Bribes

Posted by: Eninu William in Uganda news August 7, 2023

The principal human resource officer of Pader district, Aber Nancy, has been arrested on charges related to irregular payments of pension and gratuity.

According to the State House Anti-corruption Unit (SHACU), during FY 2017/2018, ministry of Finance sent more than Shs 2 billion.

This was pension and gratuity for approved and verified pensioners in Pader district. However, Aber allegedly decided not to pay all the 19 pensioners who did not ‘cooperate’ in paying her bribes.

Additionally, in FY 2019/20, she reportedly paid one pensioner Shs 68 million instead of the approved Shs 28 million by the ministry.

Furthermore, she is accused of paying another pensioner only Shs 21 million instead of the approved Shs 48 million. She also payed salaries to four ghost persons who had died two years back.

SHACU spokesperson, Mariam Natasha, confirmed Aber’s arrest. She said that she’s currently in custody at Pader central police station as investigations continue. She will be transported to Kampala to stand trial before the Anti-Corruption court.

Aber’s case is not the first pension scam in the country.

About five years ago, four other individuals, including the late lawyer Bob Kasango, Jimmy Lwamafa (former secretary in the ministry of Public Service), Christopher Obey (late principal accountant in the pensions department), and Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa (former director of research and development), were sent to prison. This was for their involvement in the mismanagement of pension funds. They were found guilty of conspiring to forge a court order, a certificate of taxation, and a certificate of costs. This was directing the attorney general to pay Kasango’s defunct law firm Hall and Partners Shs 15.4 billion. This was meant for the pension and gratuity of more than 6,340 pensioners between 2011 and 2012. Kasango, the prime suspect, was sentenced to 16 years, Obey to 14 years, and Lwamafa and Kunsa to nine years in jail.

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