Police Probe Fuel Siphoning Allegations

Police has launched investigations into the siphoning of fuel by elements of the police force from their reserves.

A number of two arrests were made on Tuesday in Nakawa of suspected local dealers in police fuel. The suspects were taken to the Police Standards Unit and later transferred to Naguru police headquarters for questioning.

Speaking to URN in an interview on Wednesday Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the police had been alerted of people selling fuel in jerricans by the Force Transport Officer in Naguru. They followed up the complaint that led to the arrest of the two suspects whom police has declined to name citing that it will jeopardise investigations.

The first bulk of fuel was found in five jerricans in Lungujja by a police patrol van led to the place by one of the suspects while the other were two jerricans found in Nakasero also on the information of the arrested local dealers.

Police suspect that the fuel was siphoned out of their fuel reserves by members of the police driving staff

Enanga denied that the arrested suspects were policemen despite an earlier tip off to our reporter by a source that the arrested men were policemen. He also said transferring them to the police standards unit was in a bid to get information from them that could be used in the investigations.

Ugandan security agencies have been hit by fuel siphoning allegations before. In October last year, former AMISOM force commander Brigadier Michael Ondoga and two other soldiers were arraigned before the Makindye Court Martial on charges of fuel and food theft among others.  

Enanga explained that fuel siphoning allegations are not new to the police and they have been probing them until when the official complaint was filed.

The two will be arraigned before court on Thursday after police are done with their investigations.