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The Member of Parliament (MP) representing Vurra County in Arua District, Mr. Yovan Adriko, has been released from Arua government prison on October 24, after spending 12 days behind bars due to an unpaid debt.
Mr. Adriko was incarcerated for his failure to settle a debt of Shs52 million owed to Jubilee Finance Limited in Arua City. The debt was incurred with an interest rate of 15 percent, and it was supposed to be repaid within one month in 2021. Court documents indicated that the MP was unable to meet this repayment deadline as specified in the agreement.
While he did manage to repay Shs20 million in two installments, he was unable to fulfill the agreed-upon terms for the remaining amount. During a court hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Registrar Lowe Karungi presided over the case. During the hearing, Mr. Adriko paid Shs 32 million in cash and committed to paying the outstanding balance of Shs 22,677,400 million within the next two weeks. It should be noted that his initial jail sentence was for six months.
In his plea for bail, Mr. Adriko also offered a piece of land located in Oluko within the Ayivu East constituency in Arua City as collateral.
In court, Mr. Adriko, represented by Mr. Jimmy Madira of Madira and Company Advocates, expressed his commitment to abiding by the agreed-upon terms and conditions, assuring that he would honor them. Additionally, Mr. Stanley Aliomani, his personal assistant, and Ms. Frida Driwaru, his wife, acted as sureties for Mr. Adriko during this legal process.
Before his release, well-wishers launched fundraising efforts through various platforms, including WhatsApp, to provide monetary support for Mr. Adriko. It’s worth noting that Mr. Adriko is serving his first term as the Vurra County MP, having previously held the position of LC3 Chairman for Logiri Sub-county in Arua District. He assumed his parliamentary role in 2021 after defeating the incumbent and former State Minister for Finance in charge of Investments, Dr. Gabriel Aridru, who had served for one term.