Adriko Yovan, the Member of Parliament representing Vurra County in Arua District has been committed to civil prison for six months over failure to service a loan amounting to shs55.6million that he borrowed in 2021.

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• Arua District’s Vurra County Member of Parliament, Mr Yovan Adriko was on Friday sent to Arua government prison in West Nile for failing to repay Shs56 million to a money lender in Arua City.According to documents tendered at Arua High Court, Mr Adriko borrowed the money from Jubilee Finance Limited in 2021.
• He had committed to repay in instalments of Shs20 million.

  His arrest, according to the lender’s lawyer, Mr Richard Bundu, followed several failed attempts to recover the money.

  “This is the money he borrowed in 2021. We tried to recover the money from him but he was very uncooperative. When you call him[on phone], he tells you many things which I believe were lies,” he said.

  Mr Adriko was not allowed to say anything after admitting borrowing the money.

  According to the judgment signed by the Arua High Court Deputy Registrar, Ms Leo Karungi, the legislator will spend six months in prison if he fails to pay the money.

  “It is hereby decreed and ordered that default judgment is entered for the plaintiff for Shs58,143, 900, costs of the suit are awarded to the plaintiff,”Ms Karungi said.

• Adriko Yovan, the Member of Parliament for Vurra County in Arua District, has been sentenced to six months in civil prison for failing to repay a loan of shs55.6 million that he obtained in 2021.

  Adriko appeared before Deputy Registrar Leo Karungi at Arua High Court on Friday, where he was committed to Arua government prison for half a year.

  The MP’s arrest was prompted by an arrest warrant issued against him for failing to appear in court to explain his inability to settle the outstanding debt borrowed from Jubilee Finance Limited.

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  According to Richard Bundu of Bundu and Co. Advocates, who represents Jubilee Finance Limited, Adriko borrowed shs52.7 million at a 15% interest rate with the agreement to repay it within one month. However, he did not meet this obligation.

  After a year of noncompliance, Jubilee Finance Limited attempted to recover the debt from Adriko, who had become evasive. Despite various attempts to contact him, he remained uncooperative. Consequently, a case was filed against him, and the court issued summons, serving him both in person and via email. Nevertheless, Adriko continued to disregard the matter, leading to a default judgment against him on August 18, 2022.

• Subsequently, after learning of the judgment, Adriko made two payments totaling shs20 million, reducing his debt to shs48,143,900. However, on October 12, 2023, he was apprehended when he was lured by court bailiff Paul Mawa of T/A Vitality Associates under the pretense of a land transaction at Slumberland Hotel.

  As per court documents, Adriko is required to repay the principal amount of shs48,143,900 and cover legal costs amounting to shs7.5 million, totaling shs55.6 million.