By Andrew Irumba
Tooro: Bunyangabu District CID and Buheesi Sub-County OC/CID Andrew Mukiza are in the spotlight after they allegedly connived and reportedly took a bribe to kill an aggravated defilement case at Buhessi Town Council police station.
The victim, names withheld for being a minor is an 8yr old who was studying in P2 at Kiboota Primary School and has been staying in Kigabi B Koboota Ward, Bunyangabu District with her grandfather, Muzei Kaganda Joseph aged 70 yrs, after her father (Kaganda’s son) Jusi Steven left her to stay with her grandfather, who later defiled her severally until the fateful day.
The father of the now defiled minor is reportedly a nomadic village pastor who couldn’t put up with the daughter as he has to attend to night prayers. Her mother too, according to sources doesn’t stay with her father.
It’s believed that Muzei’s 40days came about when a good samaritan saw the girl one morning in untold agony and grief in the village walking painfully, when she quizzed her after a long time, she opened up as to why she was feeling pain in her private parts. She confided to this samaritan that her grandfather has been defiling her for months now and that he warned her (the minor) that he would kill her if she dared tell anybody about it.
On hearing this, the samaritan took the girl to the village chairman. What surprised the samaritan however, is that the chairman instead ‘sat’ on the case and demanded money from the suspect in order not to report him to police.
After some time with no action being taken, the woman decided to take the matter to Police herself at Buheesi Town Council.
Police Makes The Case A Money Minting Venture
According to Mayor Buheesi Town Council Vincent Nyakoojo and Buheesi Town Clerk, Bajenja, whom this reporter talked to via phone, it’s been established that OC/CID Buheesi Andrew Mukiza and Bunyangabu District CID connived with the suspect to kill the case after money exchanged hands.
The duo allege that Buheesi Police OC/CID with his District boss forced the suspect to sale his land while in cells in order to part with the bribe which they demanded in exchange for his release. Infact, the town clerk accused the District Police boss for traveling at night from the District headquarters in Kibiito (about 20kms) to Buheesi Sub county to release the suspect at 8pm in the night, which is illegal. According to law suspects are not supposed to be released at night, suspecting that they might be waylaid by those they wronged at night and harmed.
“Muzei was arrested on June 3rd after we mounted pressure. He was arrested alongside his son Jusi Steven (the father of the girl) over negligent and the Chairman LC1 of the area for concealing the case. But each one of them has since paid money to these two corrupt police men and have since been released. In fact, the suspect was released at 8pm night on Thursday 8, June 2021 by the District CID himself who travelled all the way from Bunyangabu HQ (about KMs) to here at night, imagine!,” said Town Clerk Bajenja on phone.
It’s alleged that the accused police officers forced Muzei to sell his land while in the cell and the sale agreements were actually signed while in detention. It’s believed that the case vide no CRB241/2021 has since caused controversy between the political leadership of the district and the security apparatus.
According to sources, the suspect paid shs300,000/- to get a police bond whereas the area Chairman paid shs150,000/- to get back his freedom as well. The father of the girl also paid a yet to be known figure all to the police to get a bond. The father of the girl had agreed with his father (suspect) to get land in exchange for his defiled girl’s case, but police argued that they needed their share, hence the decision to sell the same and share proceeds, sources added. “The police have been keeping them here for long while negotiating on money, they forced him to sell the land so they could get their share,” added the area Mayor Nyajoko.
Our sources revealed that after getting his partial freedom, Muzei Kaganda went into hiding in Kinyankende, Mugusu Sub country Kabarole District.
The mayor also accused Bunyangabu District Probation Officer Doreen Kabakali and a government-paid Nurse at Kiyombya Health Centre for conniving to kill the case by producing fake medical reports about the girl and the suspect in which they claimed that Muzei was mentally sick by the time he committed thr offense and therefore deserve to be released.
“A corrupt government nurse, paid by the taxpayer faked an examination report whereby she claimed that she subjected Muzei (the suspect) to a medical examination and found him to be mentally ill and therefore by the time he committed the offense he wasn’t in his rightful state of mind! It’s this same report police used to release the suspect,” the Town clerk revealed.
He added that he wants authorities to intervene and task this Nurse to share with them the purported medical report of the suspect and the girl.
Bajenja added that Buheesi police CID has been involved in several corruption cases where he kills many cases upon receiving a bribe. He asked police leadership to change him immediately pending investigations.
”I appeal to police leadership to apprehend their officers and also cause the rearrest of the suspect as the girl still lies helpless in the village with no medical attention extended to her,” said Bajenja.
Meanwhile, our efforts to get comments from the implicated police officers proved futile as our repeated calls went unanswered. We will bring their version of the story as soon as we get it. (https://casadelninobilingual.com/)
