Agago Acting DPC, Intelligence Officers Recalled to Police Headquarters

The Acting District Police Commander of Agago Yunus Sebirumbi has been recalled to the Police Headquarters in Kampala for investigation over alleged corruption.

Sebirumbi was picked up together with Frederick Nyamisogola, the Officer in Charge of Criminal Intelligence at Patongo Police station and Deputy Scene of Crimes Officer (SOCO) Solomon Nasimolo following accusations f Unlawful arrests and detention of suspects, extortion, torture, and selling of impounded motorcycles.

Their withdrawal from Duty came shortly after a protest staged by angry Bodaboda operators in Patongo Town Council on Tuesday morning.

They were demanding the release of one of their colleagues who had been arrested and detained for five days without any charges. Police had a running battle and fired live bullets to disperse the rowdy protestors who were burning motor vehicle tires, blockading roads, and pelting stones at Patongo Police station.

Agago Resident District Commissioner Andrew Onyuk told URN in an interview that several residents of Patongo Town Council raised complaints against the suspects in an emergency meeting held on Tuesday about their connivance with suspected thieves targeting motorcycles.

He says one particular case that confirmed their dubious deals was the arrest, detention, and torture of a Bodaboda rider who was accused of stealing a motorcycle five days ago. Onyuk noted that the Bodaboda rider identified as Okema Patrick had earlier been arrested for violating curfew time and fined  40,000 Shillings through the Express Penalty scheme.

According to him, Okema paid the money in one of the banks but when he went to get his impounded motorcycle registration No. UFA 707S, he was instead rearrested and detained on allegations of using a stolen Motorcycle. He says that the Police officers later colluded with two Indians who claimed ownership of the same motorcycle but they disappeared upon learning that they were being investigated.

Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson David Ongom Mudong on Wednesday confirmed to URN the transfer of the Police officers to the Police Headquarters in a telephone interview. Mudong says that Sebirumbi was taken to the Human Resource Management department, while Nyamisogola and Nasimolo were taken to the Criminal Intelligence Directorate and the Directorate of Forensic Services respectively.

He notes that before their transfer, the suspects recorded statements at the Aswa River Regional Police Headquarters Professional Standards Unit (PSU) to facilitate investigations into allegations brought against them.

Sebirumbi confirmed to URN in a telephone interview that he has been transferred to the Police Headquarters in Kampala but declined to comment further on the allegations against him. However, the Aswa River Region Police Commander Nachuha Damalie noted that accused police officers will be subjected to investigation and would be held accountable once found guilty.