The officer-in-charge of Criminal Investigations Department at Katwe Police Station in Kampala was yesterday interrogated for alleged negligence of duty after unknown arsonists set ablaze her office, burning Shs80m cash which had been kept as exhibits in sensitive criminal cases.
ASP Gloria Rukundo was interrogated and released on bond but two other police officers were detained pending further investigations.
The suspicious fire razed the CID office on Monday night.
The CID spokesperson, Mr Charles Twine said that the Inspector General of Police, Mr Martins Okoth-Ochola, has appointed a team of officers from the Professional Standards Unit, Kampala Metropolitan Police, Regional Kampala Metropolitan South and CID to investigate the matter and charge the culprits.
“We have recorded a statement of the officer-in-charge of CID at Katwe Police Station, ASP Gloria Rukundo, who was released on bond and we are still having in custody two police officers including the store man,” ASP Twine said.
Sources at Katwe Police Station, who declined to be named said that after putting out the fire, it was noticed that Shs80m, which had been registered in exhibits book at the station was completely burnt while another Shs46m recovered as exhibit which had not yet been recorded in the exhibits book was feared stolen.
“Nowadays when an exhibit is recovered in form of money, the detectives arrange the notes with serial numbers on the money, then they record it as an exhibit. In the office of the in-charge CID where fire was, Shs80m was registered as an exhibit and it was burnt but Shs46m was not burnt but it was missing,” a source added.
The source said among the exhibits that were burnt were those in the six files of capital offences including the one of the late Maria Nagirinya, who was kidnapped and murdered in August 2019.
ASP Twine said: “Police are still investigating that matter because the alleged files were sanctioned already. Ideally files that are sanctioned are not supposed to be at police station. Instead they should be with the office of Director of Public Prosecutions,” Mr Twine said.
Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through [email protected] Videos and pictures can be sent to +256 726071828 on WhatsApp.
