By Steven Candia And John Semakula

The key witness in the Aurien murder case has been traced. She is in Police custody.

Sources yesterday said Christine Akello was picked up early this month after security located her at a Born-Again church in Old Kampala, ending months of speculation that she had been killed.

James Peter Aurien, the former Mukono district Police commander, is alleged to have murdered his wife, Christine Apolot, on April 2008.

It is believed that Akello, her sister, was present at the time of the murder.

She went missing shortly after the burial of her sister.

Her disappearance prompted the Director of Public Prosecution in July to withdraw the charge against Aurien, triggering outrage among women activists. Aurien has since been re-arrested and remanded to Luzira prison.

A Police source yesterday confirmed that Akello had been found. “Yes, we traced her and that was some days ago,” he said.

Other sources said Akello was picked up on October 2 by operatives from the Rapid Response Unit of the Police.

Akello went missing after she was reportedly collected from her ancestral home at Serere in Soroti district by David Mpangi, a relative of Aurien and a Police officer attached to Parliament.

“Mpangi came riding a motorcycle and took Akello from home,” Akello’s mother told Etop in August, adding that the man told her Akello was his girlfriend.