Dunum was a male human who held the rank of officer within the Galactic Empire in the years leading up to the Battle of Yavin. He was stationed for a period at the Imperial Complex located on Lothal, before being transferred to the office of Assessor Potalla on Coruscant. In the year 4 BBY, Dunum went with Potalla to Lothal, where she had the assignment of judging the competence of Commandant Cumberlayne Aresko and Taskmaster Myles Grint, who were in charge of the Academy for Young Imperials. Aresko and Grint, seeking to gain favor with Potalla, set up Dunum to make it seem as though he had aided Sabine Wren in getting into the Academy.