Senka told court that they were five people when they intercepted Ugi in Nyakabingo village but he escaped from them enroute to Buseruka Police post. However, on cross examination by the suspect, Senka told court that he was alone when he apprehended the suspect, but he took off when he was trying to find a rope to tie him.
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Ali Senka a crime preventer being led out of court after the Hoima Grade One Magistrate ordereducation for his detention
A crime preventer earned himself two hours in the Hoima court cells on Tuesday when he appeared to testify in a cattle theft case. Ali Senka was one of the witnesses lined up by the prosecution to pin Benjamin Ugi, a resident of Buseruka Sub County in Hoima district for the theft of two cows belonging to John Susu.
The cows disappeared from Susu's kraal on October 7th 2016. On Tuesday, Senka, a crime preventer attached to Buseruka Police post took the stand to pin Senka for the theft. However, Senka failed to prove his earlier claims that he arrested Ugi at around 1am with the two missing cows.
Senka told court that they were five people when they intercepted Ugi in Nyakabingo village but he escaped from them enroute to Buseruka Police post. However, on cross examination by the suspect, Senka told court that he was alone when he apprehended the suspect, but he took off when he was trying to find a rope to tie him.
This prompted the Hoima Grade one magistrate, Patrick Kitiyo to interject and ask the Crime Preventer to tell court what exactly he did when he found Ugi with the cows. Senka started crying as he couldn't match his statements with his earlier testimony raising suspicion that he could have been hiding some information yet he was testifying under oath.
He told court that he recorded his statement on October 12, 2016, about four days after the arrest of the suspect while handing over the cow the suspect was found with to police. His testimony prompted the magistrate to question where the second cow had disappeared to and ordered for the arrest of Senka, saying court will investigate his role as a crime preventer.
Senka was locked up in the court cells for close to two hours before he was released after interfacing with the prosecutor and the magistrate. Kitiyo later told URN that they reminded Senka of his responsibilities as a crime preventer before setting him free. Crime Preventers are civilians recruited by the police to help curb and fight crime at the grassroots level.
Thembo Kahungu
Freelancer
