Police officers on the spot over theft of property at EC offices

Police in Budaka district is investigating two of their officers in connection with the theft of property worth millions of shilling at Electoral commission offices.

The officers arrested have been identified as Constable Vincent Emoru Vincent, and Sergeant David Kuloba attached to Budaka Central Police Station.

The Budaka Resident District Commissioner, Tom Chesol confirmed the incident which police authorities have remained tight-lipped about, noting that the arrested officers are currently detained at Budaka CPS.

According to Chesol the two were on Friday deployed to guard the premises, but circumstances under which the offices were broken into and property robbed remains a mystery.

‘’I received investigating officers from the Professional Standards Unit in Kampala and now were are jointly investigating the two officers basing on three aspects of negligence, connivance, or participation in the stealing. They will later be charged,” Chesol said.

He noted that if found true, the officers will also be forced to pay back the property that is missing on top of being arraigned before court.

The Budaka RDC noted that their internal assessment has indicated that some police officers abscond from their duty whereas many others are suspected to be conniving with hard-core criminals.

Sources privy to the information but preferred to remain anonymous considering the sensitivity of the matter, said the officers deployed only reported to append signatures in the arrival books and return to the barracks to sleep.

He noted they would later come early in the morning at about 5:00 am to sign out and write the report that the ‘situation was calm’.

Norah Lunyolo the district returning officer confirmed the incident saying the attackers made off with two solar batteries and one kettle and other valuable documents.

Lunyolo said she still doesn’t know the motive of the attackers of a highly guarded entity.

She said with the problem of fluctuating power, their offices will be engulfed in darkness until they procure new solar batteries.

This comes at the time when cases of burglary are on the rise in Budaka town council and its surrounding.

Sources say a shortage of manpower from police has led to this problem since officers work for long hours without rest.

Attempts to get a comment from Superintendent of Police, Alfred Bagambaki, the Bukedi North, Regional Police Commander were futile as he didn’t pick our repeated calls to him.