OPM inquest hits new setback

Mr Geoffrey Kazinda tells detectives that he is not ready to speak to them.

Kampala

Mr Geoffrey Kazinda, the suspended former principal accountant in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), yesterday refused to record a statement with police detectives at Luzira Prison.

It was the second time Mr Kazinda, named as a key suspect in the embezzlement of billions from the OPM, and who has tried unsuccessfully to get bail, was declining to record a statement. He told detectives he was not ready to speak to them.

“A team went to Luzira but did not succeed in what had taken it there,” the Director of the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate, Ms Grace Akullo, said yesterday. Detectives will return to the prison today to try again, police sources told the Daily Monitor.

Previous incident
His refusal, while uncommon, is in keeping with the unconventional nature of the OPM investigation.
Mr Pius Bigirimana, the permanent secretary in OPM, whom detectives consider a person of interest in the matter, also previously declined to attend a police station to record a statement in connection with the matter.

Appearing in court last week as the main State witness and complainant in a forgery case against Mr Kazinda, Mr Bigirimana denied a statement that the prosecution produced and attributed to him.
The disputed statement later disappeared from the court registry under unclear circumstances. Investigations continue.

djeanne@ug.nationmedia.com