Policeman vanishes with sh7m exhibit money

A Police sergeant has been declared a deserter after exhibit money totalling close to sh7m mysteriously disappeared from Luweero Police Station.

Sgt. Nelson Aliro, who was the officer in charge of the exhibits store at the Police station, has been declared a deserter after he allegedly fled with the exhibit money mid last year.

The Luweero District Police Commander, Paul Watala, said Aliro who was the officer in charge of the exhibits store at Luweero Police Station, is believed to have fled with the money that had been recovered from a suspect who had obtained it through a fraudulent car deal.

Watala said that after Police arrested the suspect only identified as Ochora, he was compelled to refund the money which he did with the mediation of Police.

He said the money was received and signed for by Aliro who locked it up in the exhibits store and kept the keys.

Aliro however later disappeared from with the store keys, leaving the store locked.

The Savannah Region Police spokesperson, Paul Kangave, said that after Aliro's disappearance a decision was taken to break open the exhibits store, only to find the money missing.

He said that on discovering the theft of the money, Luweero Police Station in August last year sent wireless transmission messages to Police units countrywide alerting them to arrest Aliro and transfer him to Luweero.

Kangave said Police in Luweero later opened a charge of theft against Aliro which the Luweero resident attorney sanctioned on October 4, after which prosecution applied for criminal summons.

He said Police in Luweero later wrote to the force's headquarters in Kampala informing them about Aliro's disappearance who replied by declaring him a deserter.

According to Police, the whole saga stems from a 2012 case in which a teacher in Luwero, called Mathias Kigozi bought a car from Ochora.

Kigozi later discovered that the same car had already been sold to another person, prompting him to ask for a refund of the sh7m which had been paid to Ochora.

According to Police file number 18/25/7/2016, Ochora who was subsequently arrested, refunded the money through Police.