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CAO SHOOTING: Three more suspects in custody

The burnt out car that the CAO was driving

Bukwo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security agencies have arrested three more suspects in connection to the gruesome shooting and killing of Bukwo District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Robert Charles Ogwang along the Kampala-Gulu highway. Unknown assailants sprayed Ogwang with a volley of bullets on July 8th, 2022 on his way to Lira from Kampala.

He breathed his last shortly after being rushed to Bombo Military hospital. Security has since picked up several suspects to help with the investigations. The new suspects whose identities have been concealed were picked up from Bweyogerere where Ogwang allegedly held meetings with them hours before his death.

The suspects allegedly met the deceased in the afternoon hours on a fateful day. Security also picked up another suspect from Kagoma where the deceased stopped from 9:35 pm up to 11:12 pm when Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras captured him at Kiryagonja,  a short distance from the murder scene at Kiryowa village.

Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, said that he was yet to receive a brief about the new developments. Nevertheless, Enanga had earlier confirmed that the security cameras captured Ogwang’s movement from the Northern Bypass, Bwaise, Kawempe up to Kagoma where he spent more than one and half hours.

Ogwang told medical workers at Bombo hospital health workers shortly before his death that he stopped thinking that the strangers were security personnel. He further narrated that the strangers forced him to give them his phone and wallet.

After checking the wallet, the armed strangers saw his Identity Card and it was at that moment they started shooting him from the passenger’s side. He moved out to run to safety but he was overpowered by the bullets and fell down.  The assailant shot the deceased 26 times before they fired in the fuel tank thus setting the vehicle ablaze.

Information obtained by URN shows that two of the suspects arrested from Bweyogerere were picked with the help of the deceased’s driver Eric Chemusto, who drove him to meet them on Friday afternoon after they had meet other people in Buziga and Kasaasi areas.

Intelligence and violent crime teams have been picking the suspects after reportedly getting printouts showing that they were among the last people to speak to the deceased and met him just hours before his death.

In addition, the suspects called several people in a very short time after meeting  Ogwang something that created suspicion that they were speaking to the killers.  Security is currently following up on three leads to identify Ogwang’s murders and the reasons behind his killing.

One of the leads is that the deceased made deals worth millions of shillings in Buziga, Kisaasi, and Bweyogerere, which could have motivated his killers in order to remain as lone beneficiaries. It is also alleged that Ogwang had severally feared for his life to the extent of approaching a private security company that imports guns with the view of owning one.

“We are getting this information from the driver who often drove him to meet people or constantly listened to his telephone conversation. Some of this vital information has come from the people he last met and are in our custody,” a security source said.

Grace Matsiko, The Uganda Private Security Association (TUPSA) Chairman, confirmed to Uganda Radio Network (URN) that there are private security organizations authorized to import firearms but they are cleared and monitored by the Ministry of Defence.

The three suspects bring to seven, the number of suspects in custody over Ogwang’s murder. Security agencies with the help of Gombe police, where the murder happened arrested four suspects including driver Eric Chemusto. The driver was left by the deceased at Liberty Guest House in Kireka.

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URN

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