MBARARA

Operatives from the office of the Inspector General of Government have arrested a police officer attached to Mbarara Central Police Station on allegations of soliciting and receiving a bribe. He was arrested on Monday just opposite Mbarara Central Police Station in the process of receiving Shs100,000 and a bunch of matooke he had demanded from the victim.

“He had asked for Shs100,000 from the victim in order to talk to the Resident State Attorney to dismiss a certain case. He had also asked for a bunch of matooke for himself. We were informed about it and set him up for arrest,” said a source that preferred anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The suspect had on January 17 arrested the victim from Ruhandagazi village in Bugamba Sub-county on charges of assault, holding her for five hours at Mbarara Central Police Station. He allegedly released her on a police bond after she had paid him Shs100,000. It’s further alleged that the police officer used a forged file number to grant the woman a police bond. “He used this file number SD/66/14/1/2014 to procure her a bond, but details of this file do not exist. We are yet to discover whether there is a file for this lady,” the source said.

Ms Munira Ali, the IG public relations officer, confirmed the arrest early on Tuesday, saying they would produce the officer in court on charges of soliciting and receiving a bribe. A report released recently by the IGG (Jan-June 2013), ranks police as the fifth most corrupt government institution.