Minister Adoa acuses police of frustrating efforts to eliminate illegal fishing practices

Serere, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Fisheries State Minister Helen Adoa is accusing police of frustrating efforts to eliminate illegal fishing practices on Ugandan lakes. The minister who also doubles as Serere Woman MP said this shortly after receiving complaints from local leaders in the district on the alleged increasing corruption practices by the police.

Norbert Ikwarit, the Pingire sub-county LC III chairperson accuses the police in the district of extorting money from every suspect and complaints registered with them. He says that the village and parish chairpersons are now demoralized on following up security issues especially reporting cases of defilement, theft and other criminal acts because police officers are compromised with money.

Citing recent operations in the sub-county where opium worth millions of Shillings was confiscated, Ikwarit said that he was shocked to find out that the opium had disappeared from the police premises.

After hearing from Ikwarit and other sub-county leaders, Adoa said that she is not surprised given her own experience with the police in the district. She said that the police released a suspect who allegedly delayed the construction of boats at Kagwara landing site after paying them Shillings 4.3 million.

She said that the same police extorted money meant for families that lost six people who drowned in Lake Kyoga in March this year. She revealed that police removed Shillings 100,000 from the Shillings one million given to each family.

James Erongu, a resident of Kadungulu sub county says that the police take every opportunity to extort money from unsuspecting community members. He however says that when it comes to illegal fishing practices, both the police and army are extorting money from the culprits.

“The police may be extorting money but it only happens when suspects are arrested and taken to the police cells but so many people bribe their way when it comes to the army. I know many people who were found with illegal fishing gears by the FPU but were released after paying money”, he said.

Oscar Gregg Ageca, the East Kyoga Regional Police Spokesman asked the minister and other leaders with concerns against the police to file formal complaints with the relevant authorities. “Police are not above the law and anybody with complaints against individual officers and the police unit can file a complaint”, he said.

He notes that they will open a general inquiry file on the matter to ascertain facts and where possible, bring all the responsible persons to book.

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