The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Professional Standards Unit of police commanded by Assistant Commissioner of Police John Okalany has started questioning Criminal Investigations Officers who were arrested last week on accusations of mishandling and misplacing case files.
Criminal Investigation Directorate –CID boss Grace Akullo launched a crackdown on detectives who have allegedly lost files of sensitive capital offences such as defilement, corruption, murder, fraud and rape.
Akullo ordered for the arrest of more than 40 detectives in various parts of the country to explain how sensitives case files disappeared in thin air.
Most of the arrested detectives including those that learnt about the whip in advance and went into hiding, are in the eighteen policing divisions that make up Kampala Metropolitan area covering the districts of Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and parts of Mpigi and Kayunga districts.
The department has since been deliberating on whether to have them charged in criminal courts or in the force’s disciplinary tribunal. CID Spokesperson, Charles Twine has told Uganda Radio Network that the officers will not be arraigned before criminal courts.
Twine said investigations point to the possibility that the detectives committed the service offences because the problems beyond them and a decision has been taken to have a collective action.
Although Twine did not divulge details of the collective action being taken, it has been established that more than 10 junior detectives have accused their commanders of having instructed them to misplace the case files.
Okalany and his deputy Sarah Kibwika have since started questioning the officers individually in regard to their work ethics. It is alleged that PSU has registered more than 1,000 complaints of missing files over the last four months.
PSU has in the last 12 years investigated close to 3,000 police officers of all ranks on cases of bribery, extortion, misconduct and attempting to broker deals where complainants of cases like defilement negotiate with the culprits.
Akullo, during a retreat attended by over 300 CID commanders, cautioned officers against luring their juniors into acts of extortion and bribery. She said once a junior understands the commander’s weakness, it becomes difficult to give orders.
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