A man has been remanded over stealing Shs500 million allegedly meant to compensate cattle owners in Apac District whose livestock was lost during past insurgencies.
Moses Otwang, was on Wednesday arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lira District on charges of theft following investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit in collaboration with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Prosecution alleges that Otwang, together with other suspects who are still at large, between May 2024 and June 2025, obtained and stole Shs500 million from several victims in Apac District.
The money was reportedly intended to facilitate compensation for cattle lost by residents during the insurgencies.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit said the accused and his alleged accomplices exploited the cattle compensation process, resulting in victims losing money that was supposed to benefit them.
The case comes amid government efforts to reform the compensation programme for cattle lost during past insurgencies.
Earlier this year, Cabinet approved a cattle restocking programme to replace the previous compensation arrangements based on historical court-ordered payments.
Under the new arrangement, government approved a flat package of Shs5 million per household for affected families across the Lango, Acholi and Teso sub-regions.
The cattle restocking programme is intended to address longstanding disputes and challenges surrounding compensation for livestock lost during the insurgencies.
Otwang’s case is expected to shed further light on alleged fraud within the compensation process as authorities continue pursuing other suspects linked to the Shs500 million alleged theft.
The accused was charged following a joint operation involving the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, CID and ODPP.
