Police arrest 60 in Soroti for drinking and gambling

Oct 17, 2016

The suspects who included eight students, 10 women and 47 men who were picked in various social pubs and gambling shops in town. The move is aimed at making the town a cleaners and safe place to live.

Police in Soroti have arrested over 65 people for allegedly drinking in the morning.

Among those arrested included Community Development Officer for Amuria identified as Emmanuel Oonyu, and unidentified army officer.  

The operation that started today in Soroti town is expected to be extended to other trading centers in the district.

The suspects who included eight students, 10 women and 47 men who were picked in various social pubs and gambling shops in town. The move is aimed at making the town a cleaners and safe place to live.

"We found them drinking early in the morning, and playing in gambling machines," said the Police Spokesperson for East Kyoga, Michael Odongo in an exclusive interview with New Vision on phone.

He said they have realized the number of crimes like murders, thefts, and burglary are increasing in town something "We suspect is being carried out by idlers such as drunkards, and gamblers."

Odongo said they have already finished with their investigations and the suspects are expected to appear in court this afternoon. "We shall charge them with rug and vagabond," he said.

Odongo said this morning they found an old man identified as Bernard Obayi, 65 lying dead along the road in Arabaka Parish, Arapai Sub County.

"When we examined his body, we found an injury in the head, a sign that he was murdered by unknown people," he said. The body of Obayi is lying at Nakatunya mortuary pending postmortem.

Odongo appealed to the young people to get gainful employments other than involving themselves in gambling, and drinking.

Some of the suspects said they were picked as they were passing near the drinking places. "I was not drinking.

They found me walking near a drinking place and they bundled me into police truck," said Hayaman ‘Nusaf'

Another suspect Amina Amina, a mother of two said: "I was found sweeping my bar, but people had not yet started to drink."

 Some of the suspects were seen still drinking their kwete, and ajono (millet brew) in the presence of the police at Central Police Station where they were detained.

"You find that these are the people who drink 24 hours without jobs and at the end they end up stealing and waylaying people on the way," he said.

The Mayor, Paul Omer immediately after he was sworn pledged among other things to tighten grip on early morning drinking, clean the town and also restore street lights.

 

The LC5 Chairperson for Soroti, Girigori Mikairi Egunyu said his council has approved the removal of gambling machines in the district.

 

"Whether they have licenses or not, we are going to remove all the gambling machines and close all the betting shops in Soroti," Egunyu said.

 

Omer said his council approved the stopping of morning and late drinking. "People must start drinking at 5:00pm after work, and end at 10:00pm," he said. The whole of CPS smelt all sorts of liquor.

 

Meanwhile Andrew Apedu, one of the bar operators in Teso Inn, Eastern Division had earlier on said that their businesses boom starting midnight.

 

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