KAMPALA– Grade one magistrate Moses Nabende has issued criminal summons against the former Kampala South metropolitan police commander Siraje Bakaleke and 6 other police officers to appear and answer to charges of Abuse of office in relation to the kidnap, wrongful arrest and confinement of 3 Korean investors.
This is after a state attorney from the DPP’s office Harriet Angom explained told court that there is no evidence on court record that Bakaleke and 7 others were served with the previous court summons.
“We do not have any proof that the accused were served, however today we shall serve them,” Ms Angom said.
Bakaleke who is at the rank of Assistant commissioner of police is said to have used his office and connived with a city lawyer Mugoya Wanyoto to defraud 41500 US dollars from the 3 Koreans.
Other police officers include: Robert Munezero, Innocent Nuwagaba, Robert Asiimwe Ray, Junior Amanya, Gastavas Babu and Kenneth Zirintusa.
They are also charged along with a city lawyer Paul Mugoya Wanyoto and a businessman Samuel Nabeta Mulowooza.
Court documents show that after the wrong full arrest of the Koreans, Wanyoto obtained another 30, 000 US Dollars from them on false excuse that it was legal fees to represent them on the criminal charges they were facing.
Bakaleke and the six officers who were serving at different ranks as Deputy Assistant Superintendents of police and police constables face 12 counts of Abuse of office, kidnap and abducting with intent to confine a person, Embezzlement, obtaining money by false pretense and conspiracy to commit an offense.
However these, except a Mulowooza, the managing Director of Eye power Engineering Company did not turn up in court on Wednesday as earlier ordered to plead to the charges.
For Mulowooza, he has denied the offenses and has been granted a cash bail of Shs4 million.
However, there is a letter seen written to the DPP Mike Chibita by Mulowooza’s lawyers of Angualia and company advocates indicating that it’s unfair to accuse him of conspiring with Bakaleke to defraud the Koreans yet he(mulowooza) was acting as a concerned citizen and gave vital information to police to investigate the Koreans for Terrorism and money laundering.
