Aswa East regional police commander, Anatoli Katungwensi, confirmed the arrests and announced that the officers would face disciplinary hearings for their misconduct, including mismanagement of case files.
Four police officers
from Pader Central Police Station are in trouble for allegedly aiding the
escape of a murder suspect. The Aswa East Acholi Regional Police leadership
picked the suspects on Saturday. They are Alfred Alumansi, the Criminal
Investigations Officer of Pader Central Police Station, AIP Ochora Geoffrey, and
Detective Constables Josephine Mukyayaye and Wilberforce Kadhumbula with others
still at large.
They are currently
detained at Kitgum regional police headquarters on charges related to aiding
the escape of Odong Bosco Okidi, a murder suspect involved in the shooting of Boniface
Moro, a businessman in Pader. The investigation revealed that the escape plan
was orchestrated by Alumansi, who ordered the transfer of the suspect from the
Police Cell to the Court Cell, leaving him unattended and later aiding his
disappearance.
Alumansi allegedly also ordered the removal of the suspect's name from the Police Cell register to
conceal his presence. Aswa East regional police commander, Anatoli Katungwensi,
confirmed the arrests and announced that the officers would face disciplinary
hearings for their misconduct, including mismanagement of case files.
//Cue in: “Yeah, he’s arrested…
Cue out: …mismanagement of case files.”//
Additionally, intelligence reports indicated
that a Police Flying Squad operation in Bargoma Village, Pader District, led to
the recovery of firearms and the arrest of suspects, including Michael Komakech,
who confessed to stealing guns in 2015. Subsequent investigations led to the
arrest of other suspects, including Patrick Sam Okot, a police deserter, and Bosco
Okidi Odong.
Despite the suspects' remand to Kineni Prison,
Okidi managed to escape from Court Cells, prompting further scrutiny of the
circumstances of his escape. The Pader district Chief Magistrate, Ssajjabbi
Noah Norobert, distanced himself from the matter, emphasizing that custody lies
with Prisons and Police, not the court.
The Pader resident
district commissioner, Mr. Milton Odongo, condemned the actions of the police
officers, stressing that such behavior tarnishes the government's reputation.
He assured that measures would be taken to address the mishandling of case files
and urged complainants to provide statements for follow-up investigations.
Kinyera Lakomekec
Freelancer