The Lira Chief Magistrate’s Court has convicted Sarah Atim to a sentence of one year, 11 months, and three weeks in prison on charges related to the mismanagement of Parish Development Model (PDM) funds in Lira District.
The conviction was confirmed in a statement issued by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Atim, who served as the chairperson of the Ipito Aweno PDM SACCO in Lira City West Division, was arrested and arraigned before the Lira Chief Magistrate’s Court on charges of obtaining money by false pretense.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit, working alongside the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, led the investigation that culminated in the charges.
According to the Corruption Unit, Atim exploited her position to fraudulently obtain large sums of money from thousands of PDM beneficiaries in Lira District, convincing them that she was responsible for their online registration and access to funds.
“The accused, while not in charge of the registration process, deceived various chairpersons of PDM groups into paying money for access to funds,” the statement explained.
The conviction comes amid growing concerns over the misappropriation of PDM funds across the nation, with several arrests being made as part of ongoing efforts to tackle corruption within the program.
The government remains committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring the proper distribution of resources meant to benefit Ugandans through the PDM initiative.
