Two Ultimate Guards Arrested over Fuel Theft in Moroto

Police in Moroto Municipality are holding two men suspected of stealing diesel worth shs 960,000 from a thermal power generation plant.

 

The plant is located in Camp Swahili, a kilometre from Moroto town.

 

Police identifies the suspects as No. 8247 Augustine Emojong and 9331 Daniel Ekoku. Both are guards working with Ultimate, a Security Group in Kampala.

 

John Omwony, the In-charge Crime Desk Moroto district tells Uganda Radio Network, that the men were arrested in the act taking five jericans over the fence. He explains that on Sunday 25, February 2013 the three suspects purportedly drained the facility off the fuel.

 

Omwony adds that the trio was nabbed by the Police and the army while on their routine patrol in the Municipality. He notes that there has been a persistent complaint about poor services by Umeme due to unexplained blackout resulting from fuel shortage.

 

Simon Peter Agaba, the Umeme Moroto Off-grid station Manager, suspects that guards and staff have been conniving to steal fuel. He urges that police to investigate the racket that has led to the loss of several millions of shillings. He explains that on the fateful day, he found a motorbike parked at the yard and ordered the owner to ride away. Later, at around 11 pm he received a message that the guards had been arrested with diesel for the power plant.

 

//cue in:   “As station manager...,

Cue out: …has been rampart in Moroto.”//

 

Meanwhile, Moroto residents have welcomed the police arrest of the guards suspected of draining fuel from the power plant.

 

Emmanuel Lochap says they had lodged complaints to the local authorities but they appeared unconcerned. He appeals to the police to dig deep into the investigations so as to unearth other criminals.

 

This is the first time arrest of fuel thieves in Moroto town.