Police Bosses Accused Of Stealing Exhibits
Police Bosses Accused Of Stealing Exhibits
Uganda Police Force is on the spot for failing to secure valuable exhibits, which affects prosecution of cases. Some of the valuable exhibits disappear from Police custody mysteriously, while some others are stolen by officers.
Valuable exhibits stored at different police stations and the Criminal Investigations Directorate headquarters include hard cash, banned drugs, ivory and vehicles among others.
Records from the Professional Standards Unit show that approximately exhibits of 13 cases disappear annually. It also shows that unknown number of exhibits disappear from the hands of the officer before they make it to the Police station.
The disappearance and theft of exhibits is blamed on the absence of secure storage facilities at various Police stations and the CID headquarters, which leaves the officers with no option but to store them in drawers that are easily accessible by accessible by any officer especially, detectives.
In January this year, Police in Soroti district arrested seven of its own officers for the alleged theft of exhibit money totaling to 150 million Shillings. The exhibit was part of the money allegedly robbed from a bullion van in Kampala on December 24th 2015.
In 2005, a bullion van that was carrying money to Karamoja sub region from Kampala was diverted by the guards when they reached Kumi district. When the police intervened, the recovered the money from the security guards who had robbed it but instead the former OC in charge investigations James Okimit declined to declare the exhibit. He was arrested and charged with the theft of 53 million Shillings, part of the money that was recovered during Police operations.