A farmer has accused Gulu’s Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr Owor Odoi Chrissy of allegedly conning Shs1.5 million from him on a promise that he will connect his two relatives to Tullow Oil Company for jobs.

Mr Richard Odongo Ochaya, who claims that his action is not malicious, alleges that the RDC had assured his children of the said jobs on the condition that he was facilitated.

It is alleged that in or around early February 2012, the RDC claimed he had received direct communication from President Yoweri Museveni that Gulu should identify two persons - male and female – with Bachelors Degree in any discipline to benefit from job opportunities at Tullow Oil.

Tullow is a British company contracted by the Uganda Government to explore, drill and process Uganda’s oil.

On allegedly receiving the information, the RDC requested that the two should contribute a facilitation fee in the amount of Shs1.5 million and that the following day he would take off to Kampala to forward their documents.

Among the documents seen by this newspaper is the purported written recommendation from the RDC for his victims.

“I hereby recommend the above named persons to be considered for Tullow Oil Company,” part of the document reads.

In his letter to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources the RDC added: “graduate in Arts with Education and also Masters in Arts Local Governance and Human Rights as per attached credentials.”

In another letter purportedly written in support of another victim, the RDC writes: “He is a graduate in Public Administration as per the attached Credentials.”

The victims spoke to this paper on condition of anonymity told Acholi Times that the RDC said the money would facilitate among other things,  their driving permits and other related travel documents; since they would be travelling to Hungary in Europe with Tullow Oil for training and would reap big rewards. 

The victims say that the RDC asked them to send Shs500,000 thousand at a time to a mobile phone line he claimed belonged to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, but after sending the money, the phone number immediately went off and was unreachable.

The victims added that they don’t have any ill feeling towards the RDC but only want their money retuned and since the money was collected through Odong Richard Ochaya, they hold him responsible because they don’t have the means to “directly confront with a high calibre individual in person of the RDC.”

The victims say that they have also written letters and circulated it to the Minister In-charge of the Presidency, the Police Professional Standards Unit and the 4th Division Army Commander for their guidance. 

Mr Odongo also reported the matter to Gulu Central Police Station last Monday, alleging that the RDC had obtained money from him under false pretence and registered the case under Reference SD: 93/11/06/2012.

“I have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that, prima facie there was no such directive from the President to the RDC- Gulu,” Mr Odongo said.

“And absolutely no communication from Tullow Oil Company and/or the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources about the recruitment processes from each region.”

“My action is not a malicious one but an act of a prudent reasonable Man acting at the time when I was approached by the victims.” Odongo Richard concluded.

Gulu RDC Odoi Owor Chrissy when asked denied the allegations and said that he did not receive any money, although as the RDC he may have recommended the University graduates for jobs for free.

He challenged anyone making such accusations to bring the receipt or agreement letter where he signed for money in the amount of Shs750,000 from each victim.

"This is just a move to spoil my name and those people in need of the 1.5 million are the ones on the move to cone money from me" he said.

The RDC added that there is no evidence that he received the money and threatened to sue any newspaper that would publish the story

See the letters bellow 

A letter puportedly written to one of the victims

letter from one of the victims to the office of the RDC requesting her money back