Kumi DPC arrested after sh150m exhibit vanishes

THE Kumi District Police Commander Mark Ajuna has been arrested and detained at the regional police headquarters in Soroti over misappropriation of exhibit (sh150m)

Ajuna was arrested alongside the OC station Emmanuel Lorika on Thursday two days after the arrest of the criminal investigations commander and six other police officers.

The officers who are currently being detained at Soroti central police were arrested for allegedly misappropriating sh150m of the sh300m exhibit.

The CID officer Jackson Kasozi and his deputy Robert Mafabi recovered the money from a private security guard of Group 4 security firm Godfrey Makowa, who had fled after reportedly stealing an unspecified amount of money belonging to a bank from a bullion van in Kampala on December 30. Makowa was arrested in Kumi district.

"It is true that the DPC and all his senior staff are currently being detained. They are twelve in number and their file is ready what is left now is an advice from the DPP before the suspects are produced in court," said the RPC Kyoga East Philip Acaye.

Acaye explained that the officers were arrested over false declaration of money they recovered because they claim the suspect had sh300m but police seems to have connived with the suspect to declare a half of the loot.

So far police has managed to recover two million from some of the police officers whom he declined to disclose on grounds that it will jeopardize investigations.

It is alleged that the arrested guards had collected money from three different banking points in Kampala and were supposed to deposit it with the Central Bank however they are accused of diverting the bullion van to Rubaga Division, where they removed huge chunks of money believed to be in billions.

Police say they only recovered shs150m in an abandoned van that was left in Rubaga.

The police officers in custody shall be produced in court on Monday on charges of theft according to Acaye. Some of the security guards are in police custody in Kampala.

The deputy RPC Kyoga East Francis Tumwesigye has been posted to run Kumi central police station in the interim.