By Flavia Ajok
The Kikuube district vice chairperson Vicente Alpha Opio has been charged and remanded to Kiryateete government prison in Hoima City for allegedly obtaining money by false pretense from two job seekers.
Opio who is also the district councilor for Kabwoya lower sub-county on Thursday afternoon appeared before Hoima Chief magistrate’s court presided over by chief magistrate George Mfintundida and was charged of obtaining money by false pretense from two job seekers.
The court, which was full to capacity, had that Opio received money falsely from Derick Musabiire and Miria Nduhukire, both residents of Kaseeta Parish in Kabwoya sub-county, pretending that he was going to secure them jobs as teachers.
The court had that in April last year, the two job seekers reached out to Opio seeking him to add a voice on their application so that he can be recruited as teachers after the district advertised for vacancies for teachers, community development officers and nurses.
It is alleged that Opio agreed to talk to the members of the district service commission and demanded them to pay Sh1,500, 000 million each to facilitate the members of the commission.
However, they waited in vain and later they discovered that the recruitment had been closed and jobs given out to other applicants.
They demanded Opio to refund their money in vain as he declined to refund the money claiming that there was no evidence to pin him and this forced the victims to report the matter to the district authorities including the RDC Amlan Tumusiime who advised them to file a case at police.
Opio was arrested on Tuesday by police on orders of the Kikuube resident district commissioner Amlan Tumusiime, following complaints from Derick Musabiire and Miria Nduhukire claiming that Opio had taken sh1500, 000 from each of them to be recruited as teachers.
Opio pleaded not guilty on the charges and the chief magistrate George Mfintundida remanded him to 16th of July 2024 after John Ochupa the chief State Attorney told court that sureties of Opio presented to court documents which were not matching.
