Police recover missing army gun

PIC:  Jude Savado, the suspect . (Credit: Ruth Nasejje)

Police have arrested a man with a pistol which allegedly was stolen from a Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) senior army officer early this month.

Jude Savado, who claims to be a close friend of the officer (names withheld), was arrested in Entebbe two days after the officer reported at the Police crime unit, the Flying Squad at Kampala Central Police Station.

According to the army officer, the pistol got lost from his home following a friend's visit.

"The army officer said his friend visited and allegedly stole his pistol from his home on May 4," the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango noted.

Herbert Muhangi, the Commandant Flying Squad told the New Vision that the gun was recovered with 20 rounds of ammunition intact as the army officer had recorded in the statement.

The recovered pistol

 

Muhangi said the gun was recovered from the suspect's girlfriend Fuula Arafat in Buziga.

"Through our intelligence, we realized the suspect had hid the gun at the girlfriend's place in Buziga where we got it from. She later took us to the boyfriend's hide out in Entebbe," he added.

Muhangi said they are detaining the suspect at Kampala Central Police Station pending further investigations.

"We want to know his motives of stealing the gun," he added.

However, Savado (suspect) who was paraded before the media said he had requested for the gun but did not steal it as alleged.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango with the recovered pistol

 
"I went to Major Charles' home and asked him to lend me his gun because I wanted to protect a friend who was coming from Kenya with huge chunks of money. I even don't know how to use it. I was just carrying it to scare away people," he explained.

Savado claimed that his phones were off, thus prompting the Major to report a case.

Onyango said the suspect will be charged with theft and possession of an illegal fire arm.

The case was registered on file number FSU/SD/9/8/2016.