KAMPALA – A police officer, who apparently ‘connived’ to sell a reported stolen car to his wife has been ordered to bare part of the overall UGX. 282 million award to the complainant.
High Court Judge Lydia Mugambe Ssali on Wednesday awarded Ms Adrine Komuhangi – both special damages of UGX. 120 million and general damages of UGX. 150 million and UGX. 12 million value of her car, a Nissan Datsun pick-up truck, stolen from Makerere university in 2008, only to be auctioned from the police yard at the Central Police Station for only UGX. 1 million.
The car was apparently sold to Ms Margaret Kiiza, wife to Mr. Anatoli Muleterwa, the Community Laison Officer at CPS, who apparently initiated the auction.
Judge Mugambe has ordered Mr. Muleterwa to bare UGX. 50 million part of the award or be committed to civil prison and cautioned the police officer to serious caution for lying to court.
“It is near blasphemy that the second Defendant could stand in court on oath before me and insist that the sale of the Plaintiff’s car was authorized by court whereas not. If he could lie in this aspect, one wonders which part of his testimony is truthful. Put simply DW2 was not a credible witness,” the judge ruled.
“I find that the second Defendant a police officer, who was fully aware of the search operation for the lost car at the material time, was grossly involved in the misappropriation of the Plaintiff’s said car. The Plaintiff’s car was sold to the second Defendant’s wife illegally,” the judge ruled.
