Arrest Deputy Kampala RCC on sight- Court orders Police

Court has directed Police to arrest Kampala Deputy Resident City Commissioner Hajjati Hawa Ntege wherever she is sighted for blocking the arrest of a suspect in the shs4.2 billion LC1 bicycle case.

Eng. Robert Kakiiza, the former Principal Civil Engineer in the Ministry of Works was among the group of six people who were interdicted by the then Local Government Permanent Secretary, John Kashaka Muhanguzi for their roles in the botched purchase of 70,000 bicycles for Local Council one chairpersons that caused government a financial loss of shs4.2 billion but he was hidden by the Deputy RCC.

On Thursday, by Buganda Road Magistrate Asuman Muhumuza issued an arrest warrant against  Hajjat Ntege after the state prosecutor  Patricia Chingtho told court that the accused has declined to honour court summons four times.

“This court has issued four criminal summons for her to come and take plea to the charges of obstructing police detectives who had gone to arrest Eng. Robert Kakiza but she has since shunned all of them. Court should issue an arrest warrant against her,” Cingtho told court.

The Deputy RCC’s lawyer, Francis Habomugisha in response asked court to extend the criminal summons because his client was not aware of Thursday’s court proceedings.

The trial magistrate, however, declined to buy into the lawyers defence and issued an arrest warrant and the case was adjourned to March 5.

Following his indictment, Kakiiza baffled his prosecution after he declared himself dead for 9 years but was arrested last year by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit that is headed by Lt. Col Edith Nakalema after a tip-off from a whistleblower.

He was later arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Unit in Kololo and charged for abuse of office and corruption where he died the charges but released on bail by Justice Lawrence Gidudu.

According to court documents, on April, 25, 2019 at Embassy House building along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala the Deputy RCC stopped two police officers including Detective Assistant Inspector of Police, Godfrey Onume and Detective Sergeant Francis Tayebwa working with the State House Anti-Corruption Unit from arresting Kakiiza.

This was after a whistleblower had tipped off Lt.Col.Nakalema’s unit of Kakiiza’s presence and miraculous resurrection after nine years ‘death’.

“The disappearance of Eng. Kakiiza Robert created reason to believe the rumours that he had since died. This caused him being removed from the charge sheet because the Office of the DPP and other law enforcement agencies failed to trace him,” the court documents at Buganda road read.

“It took the intervention of State House Anti-Corruption Unit’s intelligence to monitor his movements and later got information that he was alive and in constant touch with Deputy RCC Hawa Ntege.”

According to court, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit head then contacted the Deputy RCC to surrender Kakiiza to answer reinstated charges against him but in vain.