The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Aruu County Member of Parliament, Samuel Odonga Otto is hospitalised at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital after collapsing while recording a statement at Pader Central Police Station.
Otto reportedly collapsed at around 6 pm on Tuesday evening while being interrogation in the office of the Pader District Police Commander Ramathan Tai in relation to his escape from police custody on January 6th at Rackoko Trading Center in Awere sub-county in Pader district.
The MP had been arrested by Police from Awere trading center for alleged failure to observe the Standard Operating Procedures instituted by the Health Ministry to curb the spread of Covid-19 and holding campaigns past the 6 pm deadline set by the Electoral Commission.
Tai told Uganda Radio Network-URN in an interview on Tuesday night that during interrogations, the legislator complained that he wasn’t feeling well and requested for a break.
“He came in ok and voluntarily, he recorded a statement but later he said he wasn’t feeling well. I was seated with him in my office with some of his people and police officers, he requested for a break because he wasn’t feeling well,” Tai told URN.
He says that before Odonga collapsed, he had requested to be taken to Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Gulu city although police suggested that they take him to Dr. Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital Kalongo in Agago district, which was the nearest.
He also reveals that Police is still holding the legislator’s vehicle, a land cruiser UEB510X that he abandoned at Rackoko trading center during his escape from police custody.
Otto lost his bid to retain the Aruu County Parliamentary seat for the fifth term in the just concluded parliamentary elections.
He was defeated by Independent candidate, Christopher Komakech who was declared the winner after garnering 9,327 votes against Otto’s 5,953 votes.
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