Ivory saga: UWA ranger found dead
Uganda Wildlife Authority law enforcement officials collect some of the ivory they impounded at Entebbe International Airport recently. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
The deceased was wanted to help in investigations related to ivory theft
Kampala.
A Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) ranger, whom police operatives had gone to arrest yesterday morning over the ivory scandal, shot himself in the head, according to the police.
Lance Corporal Everest Seete, 49, shot himself at around 6am at UWA camp in Kyebando, Kampala, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, said.
Mr Onyango said police are treating the circumstances under which Seete died as suicide.
Mr Jossy Muhangi, the wildlife authority spokesperson, said the deceased was a disciplined officer and they could not explain circumstances of his death.
“I have talked to our human resource and they have told me that he had no indiscipline issues,” Mr Muhangi said.
However, a police source said Seete was among the officers they were hunting to help them with investigations into the theft of ivory in the UWA strong room.
The theft of ivory led to suspension of senior officials in UWA and army officers.
The operation to arrest the suspects started last week and police operatives arrested two ivory dealers.
One of the dealers is said to have driven in the strong room and loaded the ivory with help of UWA and UPDF officials.
The dealers led police officers to rangers who helped them access the UWA premises.
