KAMPALA – Wandegeya Police has in custody one Sam Mukooza who has allegedly been conning taxi operators.
Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango says the suspect demands money with menace from the victims after claiming that they stole his property and forces them to pay him.
In a September 6 statement, Onyango revealed that in July 2020, Mukooza reported at police a case of theft of his property that included a laptop, two pairs of trousers and shoes by occupants of motor vehicle registration number UAY 255D.
“The police impounded the motor vehicle to investigate the case. The taxi driver Livingstone Mpagi and his conductor Nuwa Lutaya were arrested,” he said.
Onyango revealed that Mukooza immediately started negotiating with the suspects and their relatives to pay back his property.
“He asked for UGX 1.6M but they settled at UGX 350,000. He was given the money without police’s knowledge,” said Onyango.
The detectives processed the case file and the State Attorney advised that the suspects be taken to court however Onyango says, Mukooza pleaded with the police that he had lost interest in the file since had already been compensated.
“On another day, one Sam Kaja reported a case of theft of his property in a taxi registration number UAL 768U at Kanyanya Police Station,” reads the statement in part.
Onyango further noted that the driver and conductor of the vehicle were arrested and eventually released on police bond, but the vehicle remained at the Police Station.
Incidently, the taxi driver Ssentongo, who was escorted by Mpagi to follow up his impounded taxi at Kanyanya Police Station was shocked to find that the same man, who claimed that he stole his property, was one that had registered another criminal case against his colleague using different name.
“He alerted the police and arrested him and an investigation started.
It has been established that he has been using the different names to make false allegations against taxi operators to demand money with menace,” he said.
He added that, “The same man used the name James Kakooza to lodge an offence of theft in another case against a taxi driver and conductor at Bweyogerere Police Station.”
He is currently detained at Wandegeya Police Station on charges of demanding property by menace.
