Supply police posts with bicycles,says Onek

By Cornes Lubangakene                   

POLICE posts should be supplied with bicycles to serve as standby transport means since motorcycles sometimes prove difficult to maintain, internal affairs Minister Eng Hillary Onek has said.

With this in place, cases of the police demanding bribes from motorists will greatly reduce, Onek argued during a meeting of Amuru district leaders at Pabo sub-county headquarters on Friday.

The Minister said this in response to a complaint by Amuru RDC Milton Odongo that due to transport problems, some police personnel in the district are forced to ask for money from members of the public to respond to their calls on criminal matters.

Odongo said some members of the public even run to police with money to help in facilitating the police at crime scenes so that their issues are handled right away.

“It is criminal for police to ask for or receive bribes from members of the public and that cannot be tolerated. I will talk to the Inspector General of Police to provide bicycles in all police posts for standby in case motorcycles have become difficult to maintain,” Onek said.

He said the public should also desist from offering money in terms of facilitation and bribes to the police saying that will bias the police involved in the practice.

Onek asked Amuru district leaders to come up with a resolution that allows Lakang in Amuru sub-county and Apaa in Pabbo sub-county to become separate sub-counties so that their appeal for a police post in the two areas are realised.

Lakang is the disputed area where government wants to offer land for sugarcane growing and sugar production for Madhvani group of companies in Amuru district.