The officers were arrested for allegedly robbing USD 30,000 (approximately UGX 114 million) from Muhammad Olad Abdirahman, a Kenyan businessman last week. It all started when Muhammad and two others sought assistance from a manager at Royal View Hotel Buziga to find the best exchange rate for their USD 30,000.
USD Dollar currency
Four
officers from Kabalagala Police Station are set to face charges of
discreditable conduct for their involvement in a cash robbery tarnishing the
name of the Uganda Police Force. Fred Enanga, the Police Spokesperson
identified the officers as Phiona Among, Isaac Angula, Shafik Baluku, and
Bernard Galenda, all stationed at Kabalagala police station.
The
officers were arrested for allegedly robbing USD 30,000 (approximately UGX 114
million) from Muhammad Olad Abdirahman, a Kenyan businessman last week. It all
started when Muhammad and two others sought assistance from a manager at Royal
View Hotel Buziga to find the best exchange rate for their USD 30,000.
"The
hotel manager tipped off one officer, who alerted 3 others.
They reached the
hotel and in conspiracy with another person identified as Okello, who was
pretending to be a foreign exchange broker, caused the arrest of the
victims," explained Enanga.
The officers then reportedly bundled the victims into a motor
vehicle, drove them to Kabalagala barracks road, and eventually to another
hotel garden where they allegedly robbed them of USD 30,000 before
releasing them.
After
recounting their ordeal, the victims filed a case at the Criminal
Investigations Directorate (CID), leading to the arrest of the four officers. Searches
at the officers' homes resulted in the recovery of some dollars and other
exhibits.
Enanga
stated that the four officers will be brought before the police disciplinary
court, where they are expected to be dismissed from the force.
Subsequently,
they will be charged with aggravated robbery in the courts of law. The hunt is
ongoing for the hotel manager and an individual identified as Okelo. The annual
crime report of 2022 highlighted a total of 443 cases of aggravated robbery of
cash reported to the police in 2022, representing a 1.6% increase compared to
2021 when 436 cases were reported.