Bukedea RDC, DPC Granted Bail By Bukedea Grade One Magistrate’s Court

The Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Wilberforce Tukei, the District Police Commander (DPC), Charles Okoto, the Gombolola Internal Security Officer (GISO), Mahmoud Oluka, and Dan Malinga, the District Councillor representing the Bukedea Town Council, have all been granted bail by the Bukedea Grade One Magistrate’s Court.

In response to a direction from President Yoweri Museveni over the pandemonium that plagued an LCV by-election held in June, the State House Anti-Corruption Unit detained nine security personnel and local leaders.

The President demanded an investigation from Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke, the director of the anti-corruption unit, after expressing dismay at the amount of suspected anomalies that were said to have plagued the by-election. Following their arrest, the RDC and DPC were charged with failing to prevent a felony, while the GISO and the councillor were charged with simple robbery and assaulting David Stephen Omagor, a former candidate.

The trio was taken into custody and afterwards brought back to Soroti prison this morning for the mention of their cases. However, their attorneys requested bail and provided sureties, including uniformed security personnel. While the DPC presented his wife Bena Abbo and the Ngora DPC, John Elatu Ejokuna, the RDC introduced his wife Catherine Adeke Tukei and the Kotido RDC, Ambrose Onoria.

While the GISO introduced his colleagues Lawrence Orone Opiny and Ramadhan Outeke, the GISOs of Kidongole and Kachumbala sub-counties, respectively, the councillor introduced his cousin Beatrice Ajilong and the Bukedea Town Council Speaker Hellen Amunyo.

The RDC and DPC received cash bail awards of sh400,000 each from Grade One Magistrate Juliana Kimono, while the GISO and Councillor received cash bail awards of sh300,000 apiece because all of the sureties were bonded for sh10 million.

All of the accused were represented by attorney Evans Ochieng, who stated that despite the fact that some of their clients have been given bail, they are not happy with the manner the prosecution is treating the case.

Five police officers who had already been detained and placed on detention for acts relating to them were now jailed until August 8, 2023. The gang consists of Police Constable Onesmus Akankwasa, D/C Simon Peter Oriokot, Police Constable Difas Kamakoin, and Police Constable Born Naibei in addition to Alex Enguloit, the officer in charge of criminal investigations at Bukedea Central Police Station. Allegations of murder, aggravated robbery, and aggravated torture are brought against each of them.

While the aggravated torture was carried out in Bukedea police cells in 2022, the murder instances were committed on December 25, 2021, and in January 2022.