Akullo lists high profile cases handled in her 11-year tenure as she hands over CID office

The outgoing Police Director for Criminal Investigations Directorate, AIGP Grace Akullo has listed a number of high-profile cases she has handled for the 11-year tenure she has served in the position.

Akullo was on November, 22, 2011 appointed as the new CID director to replace AIGP Edward Ochom but on January ,25, President Museveni appointed Maj Tom Magambo from the Internal Security Organisation to replace her.

Speaking on Thursday as she handed over office to the new bearer, Akullo applauded the president for trusting her with the office for 11 years in which she said a number of cases have been disposed of during the period.

“I would like to state that despite some challenges, we have contributed to keep crime at a declining rate and have made contribution to the economy of Uganda through creating an enabling environment for people to participate in economic and other activities,”Akullo said.

 Cases

Akullo mentioned the July 2010 twin blasts at Lugogo and Ethiopian Village in Kabalagala by Al Shabaab terrorists’ group in which the culprits were arrested, convicted and sentenced to long term jail punishments.

“ After the 2010 twin bombings in Kampala in which 79 people were killed, 15 suspects were charged to court, 10 were convicted and 05 were acquitted,” She said .

Akullo  also mentioned the 2015 murder that shocked the nation after businessman Juvenal Nsenga was run over by his wife Jackie Uwera Nsenga in their marital home in Munyenga.

The trial saw the wife sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for murder and her efforts to appeal the sentenced were futile.

Akullo said she was also proud of having successfully handled investigations into the sudden death of former Butaleja MP Cerinah Nebanda in which two people were convicted, Eriya Ssebunya also known as Kasiwukira murder, Greater Masaka panga murders between 2017 and 2018, attempted assassination of Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, kidnap and murder of Maria Nagirinya and the murder and robbery at Cheap Hardware in Nansana in 2018.

The recent spate of murders and robbery of cash from mobile money dealers that rocked Kampala and its suburbs, 2018  kidnaps in Kampala, Suzan Magara murder, killing of muslim clerics in Kampala and Busoga, Nansana and Entebbe women murders and the murder of businessman Wamala Wilberforce also featured prominently in Akullo’s report.

She explained that whereas some cases had gone up to trial and conviction of suspects, there are 68 high profile cases whose investigation has been concluded and taken to magistrates courts and later suspected committed to High Court and now awaiting trial.

Corruption cases

Akullo also mentioned a number of corruption cases that she said she is proud to have handled successfully as Criminal Investigations Director.

She mentioned the pension scam in which three Ministry of Public Service officials including Jimmy Lwamafa(Permanent Secretary), Christopher Obey (Principal Accountant) and Stephen Kiwanuka Kunsa the then Commissioner  for Compensation Department were jailed a total of 22 years for swindling over shs88billion meant for pensioners.

According to Akullo, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) scandal in which former Principal Accountant Godfrey Kazinda was convicted and jailed was also among her successes.

Pending cases

Akullo also mentioned that it feels bad by the time she has left office, suspects in the gruesome murder that saw then assistant director of public prosecution and head of the International Criminal Division Joan Namazzi shot dead on March, 30, 2015 and the gunning down of Arua Municipality MP Col Ibrahim Abiriga(2018) have not yet been apprehended.

She however noted that investigations into the two cases and a number of others are still ongoing.