The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Isingiro has convicted Ayebare Isma, the former Chairperson of Rwakakoore “A” Parish Development Model (PDM) SACCO in Rwanjogyera Subcounty, for extorting money from local beneficiaries.
Ayebare was sentenced to pay a fine of shs1 million and ordered to compensate the victims he defrauded. In default, he will serve three years in prison.
Court heard that during his tenure, Ayebare demanded illegal payments from hundreds of peasants, falsely claiming that such fees were a prerequisite for accessing PDM funds.
He was arrested on 31st July 2024 in a joint operation by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and police in Isingiro, before being charged in court.
The conviction is a significant step in the government’s ongoing crackdown on misuse of the Parish Development Model, a flagship program designed to uplift households still trapped in subsistence farming.
