Kayihura probes RRU over extortion

Dec 27, 2010

THE Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, has ordered a probe into reports that Rapid Response Unit (RRU) operatives connive with fraudsters to blackmail and extort money from the public.

By Vision Reporter

THE Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, has ordered a probe into reports that Rapid Response Unit (RRU) operatives connive with fraudsters to blackmail and extort money from the public.

Kayihura told Vision Voice, a radio station owned by the Vision Group, yesterday that CID boss Edward Ochom was part of the team set up to investigate the alleged malpractice in the unit that is charged with investigating serious capital offences.

Sources said five RRU operatives; Byoona, Katongole, Julius, Muhoozi and Karugaba are on suspension over the matter.

According to sources, the five were accused of conniving with two other people, only identified as Kiberu and Ssali, who are involved in circulating fake dollars.

Sources said in October, Kiberu recruited people to circulate the dollars.

“But when the victims delayed to get him the genuine Uganda currency, he used the RRU operatives to arrest and extort money from them,” a source told New Vision on condition of anonymity.

The victims were allegedly arrested, detained and forced to pay huge sums of money to regain their freedom.

“They were told that they would be in trouble because the dollars belonged to big shots in government,” the security source said.

It is alleged that in one instance, the operatives took one of the victims, Moses Magala to Centenary Bank, where he withdrew sh1.5m from his account to secure his freedom.

Another man, Emmanuel Luyima, who was detained for over a month, said he was asked to circulate $2,000, but was arrested when he turned down the proposal.

“Two months ago, armed men came to my home and arrested me. They took me to Kabalagala Police Station without telling me what I had done,” he told New Vision yesterday.

Days later, as he was being transferred to the RRU head office in Kireka, he was reportedly asked to pay sh100m so that he is released, but he did not have the money.

Luyima said he was charged with theft and was remanded to Luzira Prison, where he reportedly found over 10 victims arrested under similar circumstances.

“When I was freed on bail, detectives re-arrested me and took me to Kireka,” Luyima said.

He said he was forced to pay sh13m to his tormentors.



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