Four police officers dimissed, arrested for robbing $30,000 from Kenyan businessman

Kabalagala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Police has announced that it has dismissed with disgrace four police officers attached to Kabalagala police station. This even  before they are charged with aggravated robbery, after they turned against a businessman, who allegedly had in their possession $30,000 and wanted to exchange it into Uganda shillings to buy a lorry.

DC PhionaAmong, aged 28, DC Isaac Angula, aged 27, DC Shafik Baluku, aged 26 and DC Bernard Galenda are set to face charges of discreditable conduct for their involvement in a cash robbery tarnishing the name of the Uganda Police Force.

According to Fred Enanga, the Police Spokesperson, the officers were arrested for allegedly robbing approximately UGX 114 million from Muhammad Olad Abdirahman, a Kenyan businessman last week,” said Enanga.

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.

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