National
Airport staff jailed over stolen gold
Posted Saturday, January 28 2012 at 00:00
In Summary
Deal gone bad. The failure to equaly share the loot gave the suspects away. The stolen gold was worth about Shs2 billion.
Fifteen airport workers have been sent to jail for allegedly stealing five bars of gold worth Shs2 billion at Entebbe International Airport.
The suspects, according to the charge sheet, included UPDF Special Forces officers a one Lt. Byaruhanga and Corp. Charles Agaba, Uganda Police Force’s Corp. Simon Talire and Sgt. Robert Imodoiwamu.
Others were Wilson Okuonzi, Alex Arinaitwe, Dan Biretwa, Paul Kalanda, Kenneth Mwesigye, Charles Katende, Richard Batanda and Charles Owori all of Entebbe Handling Services Limited. The charge sheet also included Julius Aine a driver of Uganda Air Cargo.
Court in Entebbe charged the fifteen of theft, embezzlement, abuse of office and being in possession of stolen property that is against the Penal Code Act. According to the charge sheet, “The suspects on November 1, 2011 stole five bars of gold worth Shs2 billion belonging to Midas All Minerals Company.”
Entebbe Chief Magistrate Joyce Kavuma read the charges for each suspect but did not allow the accused to say anything because their cases could only be heard in the Anti-corruption Court.
Only four ENHAS workers and a Uganda Air Cargo driver appeared before the magistrate.
“Not all appeared because they were all on bond. They are now on warrant and as soon as they appear, we shall forward them to court,” Entebbe Airport Commandant, Ms Beata Cherimo, said.
Police investigations earlier showed that the gold was cleared from the strong room and escorted by security to United Arab Emirates plane destined for Dubai like other vital consignments.
Apparently it was failure to equitably share the loot that landed the suspects in trouble even though initially police believed the consignment had gotten lost in Addis Ababa Airport where the plane landed on transit.
“One of the handlers called his relative working in the Special Forces Group to take the gold from his friends who had allegedly cheated him but after ignorantly sold it to the owners that prompted their arrest,” a source close to the investigations said.
Ms Cherimo said that most theft cases recorded at the airport are minor but this is the first of its kind.
Magistrate Kavuma sent the suspects on remand at Kigo Prisons for three weeks and ordered them to appear on February 6.
mssebuyira@ug.nationmedia.com
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There will be more cases like this if the economy does not shape up. I would not be surprised if a political figure is again behind this.
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Why are these people being charged with corruption . As the items they stole belonged to a private person and they acted outside their specified government roles, it is pure theft.
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