Former remand home convict cited in sh300m Kampala robbery

Jul 05, 2020

Following the investigations, the Police rounded up the suspects and the eighth was picked last week by the Police’s Flying Squad Unit (FSU) — tasked with pursuing hardcore criminals, according to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) spokesperson, Charles Mansio Twine.

CRIME | FOREX BUREAU

A former remand home convict punched a businessman into unconsciousness and robbed him of sh300m recently. The minor, who commands a gang of eight armed robbers, had trailed the Somali businessman who had made a bank transaction in the city centre.

The Police identified the businessman as Abdu Fatah Ahmed, who operates Amal Forex Bureau at Equatorial Mall in Kampala.

The robbers, after snatching the bag containing the money, escaped on bodabodas, leaving the businessman unconscious outside the entrance of the forex bureau.

He was rescued by his workers, including the security team that later called in the Police.

Following the investigations, the Police rounded up the suspects and the eighth was picked last week by the Police's Flying Squad Unit (FSU) — tasked with pursuing hardcore criminals, according to the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) spokesperson, Charles Mansio Twine.

"All the suspects implicated in the theft are former convicts that served jail terms ranging from one to four years over aggravated robbery," Twine told Saturday Vision.

The suspects were sentenced to Naguru Remand Home and Luzira Prison respectively.

Those arrested include Ibrah Kigundu, Julius Mugisha, Bernard Dan Nganizi, Ibrah Ssozi alias Kisenyi and Abdurahman Bukata alias Pancho Urban. Others are Michael Lukwago, Farouk Juma Otto alias Tomusange and Bilal Mulenzi.

During a house search, FSU operatives recovered sh2m from Mugisha's home, Ssozi (sh3m), Bukata (new blankets, mattresses, a land title) and Tomusange (sh10m).

WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Police reports, the suspects were tipped off by an accomplice (a bodaboda rider in town) who often transported the victim (Ahmed) to the bank. The accomplice (names withheld) is still on the run.

Preliminary Police fi ndings indicate that they spent two weeks trailing the victim before they carried out the robbery on May 22.

REPORT

The 2019 annual crime report indicated that 6,761 cases of robbery were reported, compared to 7,354 cases in 2018, giving an 8% decrease.

Cases of robbery (where lethal weapons were not used) were 4,428, while cases of aggravated robbery (where lethal weapons such as fi rearms, knives, hammer and machetes were used) were 2,333.

As a means of intensifying the fight against crime, recently, the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Sabiiti Muzeyi, announced a robust and elaborate plan to combat the spiralling crime rate. Sabiiti said each of the Police stations countrywide will have a counter hotline, besides the known mobile telephone numbers of the commanders, which he said are sometimes not reliable.

"Each household must have this counter hotline number. It is the one residents should call in case of an emergency. These numbers will be operational 24 hours, seven days a week," Sabiiti said.

Once there a call for help, the Police offi cer on duty is expected to alert the area rapid response team to act immediately.

 

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