14 testify against MP Otto in gun charge
Jul 06, 2010
MORE than 14 witnesses have made statements to the Police implicating Aruu County MP Odonga Otto in a case of drawing a gun at pump attendants at a fuel station in a Kampala suburb in the wee hours of Monday.
By Steven Candia,
Herbert Ssempogo and
Annet Nantongo
MORE than 14 witnesses have made statements to the Police implicating Aruu County MP Odonga Otto in a case of drawing a gun at pump attendants at a fuel station in a Kampala suburb in the wee hours of Monday.
The Police yesterday said the MP had also made a statement and 20 people had been interrogated, or recorded statements, at Katwe Police Station.
Several employees of the fuel station also made statements.
But the Police said the MP wanted to withdraw his statement on the grounds that at the time he recorded it, he was not in control of himself.
Kampala South Police boss Moses Kafeero said of the witnesses, 14 were passengers aboard a commuter taxi which was at the station when the incident occurred. They all implicated the MP.
“We have a huge file and about 20 people have recorded statements over the incident,†Kafeero said.
The youthful MP on Monday night deposited his firearm with a policeman on guard at the Parliament gate. The Police had ordered Otto to surrender the firearm. The Police said the weapon and 15 bullets were issued to Otto on December 23, 2009.
The MP complied with the order hours after he had claimed that he was in Pader, his home district, about 460km from Kampala, at the time of the fracas.
He had also denied carrying a firearm in the last one year. He also said he had sold off the Mercedes Benz, UAH 966Y, which he was said to have been driving. The Police seized the car, whose insurance cover had also expired.
Now the MP faces charges of driving an uninsured vehicle.
Before surrendering the gun, Otto first telephoned Kafeero on his cell phone, asking him to come and receive the weapon at Katwe Police Station.
When Kafeero took long to turn up, Otto jumped on a bodaboda and headed for Parliament, where he deposited the firearm — a Brazilian-made revolver pistol with four bullets.
“I was shocked to learn that he had ridden on a bodaboda in the night and deposited the pistol with the Parliament Police at about 8:00pm without signing for it,†Kafeero said.
Sources at the Police station said the MP had asked the RPC on telephone not to publicise the matter in the media as it would harm his image.
Kafeero yesterday took issue with the manner in which Otto surrendered the firearm. “We are talking about a private licensed firearm. You just don’t surrender it to a policeman at the gate and don’t sign for it. Our records still indicate that he is still in possession of the firearm,†Kafeero said.
He said once the file has been sanctioned, Otto will be charged with threatening violence.
Herbert Ssempogo and
Annet Nantongo
MORE than 14 witnesses have made statements to the Police implicating Aruu County MP Odonga Otto in a case of drawing a gun at pump attendants at a fuel station in a Kampala suburb in the wee hours of Monday.
The Police yesterday said the MP had also made a statement and 20 people had been interrogated, or recorded statements, at Katwe Police Station.
Several employees of the fuel station also made statements.
But the Police said the MP wanted to withdraw his statement on the grounds that at the time he recorded it, he was not in control of himself.
Kampala South Police boss Moses Kafeero said of the witnesses, 14 were passengers aboard a commuter taxi which was at the station when the incident occurred. They all implicated the MP.
“We have a huge file and about 20 people have recorded statements over the incident,†Kafeero said.
The youthful MP on Monday night deposited his firearm with a policeman on guard at the Parliament gate. The Police had ordered Otto to surrender the firearm. The Police said the weapon and 15 bullets were issued to Otto on December 23, 2009.
The MP complied with the order hours after he had claimed that he was in Pader, his home district, about 460km from Kampala, at the time of the fracas.
He had also denied carrying a firearm in the last one year. He also said he had sold off the Mercedes Benz, UAH 966Y, which he was said to have been driving. The Police seized the car, whose insurance cover had also expired.
Now the MP faces charges of driving an uninsured vehicle.
Before surrendering the gun, Otto first telephoned Kafeero on his cell phone, asking him to come and receive the weapon at Katwe Police Station.
When Kafeero took long to turn up, Otto jumped on a bodaboda and headed for Parliament, where he deposited the firearm — a Brazilian-made revolver pistol with four bullets.
“I was shocked to learn that he had ridden on a bodaboda in the night and deposited the pistol with the Parliament Police at about 8:00pm without signing for it,†Kafeero said.
Sources at the Police station said the MP had asked the RPC on telephone not to publicise the matter in the media as it would harm his image.
Kafeero yesterday took issue with the manner in which Otto surrendered the firearm. “We are talking about a private licensed firearm. You just don’t surrender it to a policeman at the gate and don’t sign for it. Our records still indicate that he is still in possession of the firearm,†Kafeero said.
He said once the file has been sanctioned, Otto will be charged with threatening violence.