Police to probe Wandegeya pharmacy theft

INVESTIGATION

The director of Criminal Investigations Directorate, Grace Akullo, has ordered the Police Special Investigations Directorate (SID) to take over the investigations into the break-in and theft of Allianz Pharmacy in Wandegeya in June this year.

The directive follows a complaint by the pharmacy's owner, Anthony Natif, to her dated September 16, 2019, in which he stated that despite a confession by one of the suspects now in remand, the perpetrators of the break-in have never been arrested.

The commandant of SID, Elly Womanya, told Saturday Vision that he had taken over the investigation and that the hunt for the key suspects who are at large is on.

"Right now we are hunting for the key suspect Katamba, who reportedly came and asked for the keys from the managers of Alert Guards, who had been deployed to guard the premises after Alliaz Pharmacy was controversially evicted," Womanya said.

He said they had studied the file and recorded statements. He faulted some sections of police for rushing to close down the building before studying the matter at hand.

The directive comes after one of the lawyers of the parties fighting for the building in which the pharmacy was located, Eng. Kyogi Binta, dragged police to court through his lawyer John Musiime, seeking an interim order to block investigation into the case.

The directive also came after Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) declined to stop the investigations into the break-in, but instead ordered Police to carry out further investigations.

The DPP's senior assistant director, Jane Okuo Kajuga (recently appointed High Court judge) directed Police to investigate circumstances that led to the break-in of the pharmacy and bring all the culprits involved to account.

Kajuga also directed the Police to record statements from the officers who illegally shut down the pharmacy under the instructions of a lawyer, John Musiimeand Kyogi.

"It is important that these officers are identified and their detailed statements recorded. Let them confirm what they found at the premises at the time of their intervention and explain the state in which the handover was done to the private guards," Kajuga directed.

 Patrick Balitebya, a manager of Alert Guards,, recorded a statement at Wandegeya Police Station in which he revealed it was one Katamba who brought trucks to the building under dispute in Wandegeya and ordered the guards who had been deployed to load drugs and shelves and later drove away with them.

In his statement, which is now key in revealing the mystery of the stolen drugs and shelves which were costed at sh550m, Balitebya notes that Musiime was the one who directed them to the building they were meant to guard since he did not know the place.

"As I was still deploying, another man came and the lawyer introduced the man to us as the caretaker of the building. The man introduced himself to us as Katamba," Balitebya stated.

He also noted that on June 22 this yea, Katamba asked him for the keys of the gate, which he handed over to him. The Alert Guards manager further states in his statement that Katamba then handed over the keys to a one Brian who guards say brought trucks and ordered them to load all the items on them.

The building in question next to Friecca Pharmacy in Wandegeya is being contested for by Natiff and Eng. Zacharia Binta Kyogi. 

It was initially owned by two brothers - Steven Nsubuga and Dr. Fredrick Njuki - at the ration of 49.5% while their mother Eva Nabatanzi owned 1% shares.

Last year Kyogi bought the building from Nabatanzi and Nsubuga, who drafted a sales agreement and included Njuki. However, Njuki decided to sell his 49.5% shares in the building to Natiff, making him a co-owner of the building.

In December last year, High Court Registrar Francis Emokor ruled that Natiff had gained possession of the building and that the status quo was that Alliaz Pharmacy were in possession and occupying it. He dismissed the case that had been brought by Nsubuga and Nabatanzi who attempted to evict Natiff on claims that he had trespassed on the building.

In June this year, the building was shut down by police acting on instructions of Musiime, but was later opened after State Minister for Internal Affairs Obiga Kania intervened.

However, when it was opened it had been looted prompting police to arrest night guards who had been deployed by Musiime. Police searched the home of one of the guards, Stewart Kasango, and recovered stolen drugs. Kasango has since been charged and remanded.