IGP Ochola kicks Police Director Bangirana out of office

The Inspector-General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola has kicked AIGP Godfrey Bangirana, the Uganda  Police Director in charge of Logistics and Engineering out of office.

In a July 19 letter, Ochola said records indicated that Bangirana’s contract had expired on July 16, 2019 and applied to have it renewed but noted that as he awaits the renewal, he ought to vacate office.

“It is also on record that you applied to the Secretary Police Authority for consideration for another renewal which has not yet been done. While we await the decision of the Police Authority, it is only proper that you hand over the office,” Ochola’s letter reads in part.

He adds that Bangirana should hand over office to Senior Commissioner of Police, Richard Egyegu who is one of his deputy directors.

“Note that your continued stay in office is bound to raise several queries by the head of public service.”

The letter has also been copied to the Internal Affairs Minister and the Permanent Secretary.

Trouble

Bangirana has in the past been accused of inflating prices of police supplies in a bid to eat something out of their procurement.

A concerned citizen last year petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to carry out investigations into a number of deals in the police force under AIGP Godfrey Bangirana, the director in charge of logistics among others including the deal to repair the forces’ chopper in which he was accused of inflating the cost.

The police force had officially been handed the BELL 206B seven-seater chopper made in the US by Yamasec Security Limited, a company that had done refurbishment on the chopper that had been grounded for over 10 years.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2018/08/30/whistleblower-petitions-igg-over-shs10bn-police-chopper-repairing-deal/

During the function to launch it, the refurbished chopper on two occasions failed to start prompting engineers to rush to fix the problem until it, at last, hovered in the skies.

In an August 24, 2018 letter to the IGG and received on 27, a concerned citizen tasked the IGG to look into a number of procurement deals in the Police force overseen by AIGP Bangirana as the director in charge of logistics for the force.

“He has superintended over gross procurement flaws that have not only affected the police force but also the various suppliers who have various contracts with the force,” read in part, the concerned citizen’s letter.

The whistleblower also asked the IGG to look into the construction of Nateete police station which he said has been quoted to have cost shs100bn yet on its ‘face value’ it does not seem to cost more than shs20 billion.

It was also alleged that Bangirana had caused accumulation of debts in excess of Shs100b in the police arising from goods and service the suppliers provided and presided over  supply of police fuel to private individuals causing a financial loss of Shs200b to the force.

The IGG last year confirmed investigations into Bangirana’s illicit wealth were ongoing.