By Our Reporter
SOROTI
The State Minister for Works and Transport has accused a senior police officer attached to Soroti City CPS for allegedly conniving with criminals to steal motorcycles belonging to boda boda riders.
Hon Musa Ecweru while addressing the media on Sunday 17th-March-2024 at Soroti Hotel, called upon police to urgently commence investigations against their own police officer, Superintendent of police, Fred Choobe over alleged connivance with criminals to steal by trick motorcycles belonging to boda boda riders in Teso sub region.
Ecweru said that his office has received numerous complaints revealing that the alleged police officer connives with motorcycle thieves led by one Okurut, a resident of Pallisa to steal motorcycles from riders in the guise of being in possession of stolen properties.
“Okurut has a network of thieves who steal motorcycles from Kampala, bring them to Teso and sell to unsuspecting people and then the same motorcycles mysteriously disappear,” Ecweru says adding that when eventually the motorcycles are ‘found’, the innocent buyer from Teso is charged with possession of stolen property.
The victims complain that their motorcycles after confiscation are later transferred to unknown destination suspiciously Kampala for resell without their consent.
According to Ecweru who doubles as Amuria county MP, the thieves strategically connive with police to block the release of the motorcycles and impose charges on the victims.
Ecweru further asked members of the public to do proper due diligence before buying second hand motorcycles adding that Police authorities should not only transfer Choobe but dismiss him from the Force.
However, Choobe who is the OC operations in Soroti declined to comment as he referred us to police spokesperson East Kyoga.
Meanwhile, Police spokesperson East Kyoga, Gregory Oscar Ageca said that they have not received complaint in their desk but as officers in the region, they will come with intelligence reports that will aid them in their investigations against their colleague.
