The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Criminal Investigations Directorate –CID has gathered fresh details in the burning of exhibits office at Katwe police station.
Four policemen were last week charged for conspiring to commit a felony by destroying cash exhibits as required evidence in the court proceeding.
Grace Akullo, the Director Criminal Investigations Department set up a team led by the head of general crimes desk, Francis Olugu, where it was established that Apollo Kibuuka, Sgt Mariah Nangobi, Constable Moses Okello and Karim Bakole conspired with detective Prossy Candia who is still at large to set the office ablaze.
Olugu and the team have now gathered new details where facts indicate that the accused police officers hatched a plan to set the exhibits office ablaze after a complainant identified as, Jackson Bitangiro, wrote to Katwe CID commander Gloria Rukundo, demanding for his 23 million that had been taken as exhibits but was never registered in court records.
“When Rukundo received the letter from Bitangiro, she wrote to exhibits records officer, Michael Ejonu, to present the money so that it can be returned to the owner. Rukundo being a new CID commander was not aware of the exhibits. But since these people had already stolen the exhibits, they decided to burn the office,” a senior detective told URN at CID.
Bitangiro had been duped in a vehicle purchase was shocked that the money had not been included among the exhibits presented in court yet the case obtaining money by false pretence means cash was exchanged.
Olugu, who is respected in the police force for investigating forgeries, corruption and gun violence, has since established that Bitangiro’s case was recorded on CRB 42/2018. Also, investigators have landed on exhibits records book where the accused had signed for the exhibits claiming it was going to be presented in court.
“In the management of the exhibits, there are exhibits book. It is designed in a triplicate format. The white copy remains in the book; the pink copy goes in the file while the green copy goes with exhibits in the store. They got the courage and could sign for the exhibits. They knew what they were doing,” CID officer added.
When Akullo assigned Olugu to investigate the crime, police officers had refused to give details until Rukundo was arrested. It was at this point Olugu used his powers and arrested the suspects. CID says it was a crime done with a malicious calculation.
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