A police officer has written to the State House Anti-Corruption unit headed by Lt.Col.Edith Nakalema to investigate the rot involving money within the Uganda Police Force.
In a letter dated May 30 and received by the unit on June 19, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Steven Mugarura, says having worked under the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Division for six years, he discovered a syndicate of criminals within the police institutions involving corrupt officers.
“They always connived with criminals to fleece money and other valuables from hundreds of unsuspecting members of the public ranging from Ugandans, foreigners, investors, and businessmen,” Mugarura says in his letter.
“These corrupt officers would use their positions and the police force systems to frustrate investigation into any case reported against the groups they protected and harass any other junior officer who dared to investigate or follow up such cases.”
Mugarura, however, says he wrote to the then Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura who responded to a few of the concerns, noting that he consequently got frustrated through harassment making him back off.
Officers involved
In his petition to the State House Anti-Corruption unit, ASP Mugarura names five senior police officers whom he says have been part of the racket in the force that has been involved in corruption tendencies.
He names AIGP Grace Turyagumanawe, the police director in charge of peace operations, Commissioner of Police Fortunate Habyara(Crime Intelligence), Commissioner of Police Herman Owomugisha(VIPPU), Senior Superintendent of Police Joseph Kato, the Kabale Deputy RPC and SSP Andrew Kaggwa.
Mugarura says the named senior police officers and others made many people suffer through robbing of them huge sums of money that he says needs to be checked by the State House Anti-Corruption unit headed by Lt.Col Edith Nakalema.
“They have been using multifarious traps in stealing from hundreds of members of the public. They have been involved in soliciting ransom. In the recent past, we have witnessed brutal and fatal attacks on some of the junior officers believed to have volunteered whistleblowing.”
He police officer says he has on several occasions been attacked and injured for whistleblowing on their dubious actions.
“I therefore humbly appeal to you to invoke your authority as given by the President and investigate the above-mentioned officers for corruptly conniving with criminals to steal from Ugandans and frustrate investigations,” Mugarura says in a letter also copied to Inspector General of Police, Internal Affairs Minister and his Security counterpart.