Police detain magistrate over Shs300,000 bribe
The Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, on Thursday said the suspect is being detained at Pabbo Police Station.
LAMWO
Police in Gulu district are holding a Grade two magistrate, Mr Richard Oluge attached to Lamwo Magistrate’s court in Lamwo district, on allegations of receiving a bribe.
Mr Oluge was arrested on Tuesday afternoon from Apollo grounds in Kitgum district after a tip off from the Inspector General of Government (IGG) that he received Shs300, 000 bribe.
Mr Oluge was arrested after a suspect identified as Dickens Okello, reported to the IGG a case of bribery in which the magistrate was asking him to pay the said money, so that he is granted bail.
Mr Okello was arrested and arraigned before Lamwo magistrate court last week on charges of disobedience of lawful order, in which the same magistrate had granted him a non cash bail of Shs300, 000.
Daily Monitor received information that the Magistrate after the court session insisted that Mr Okello should send Shs300, 000 to his mobile money account in appreciation of granting him a bail.
Mr Okello accepted and promised to deliver the money by Tuesday afternoon.
A team of IGG officials and Police from Kitgum district after being tipped off by Mr Okello, trailed the magistrate upon receiving cash and arrested him.
Aswa Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspect is still in detention at Gulu Central Police Station pending further investigations.
“We are detaining the magistrate briefly as investigations are being carried on. But he will later be transferred to the Anti-corruption court in Kampala where he will face charges of corruption,” Mr Okema said.
He said the suspect had violated section 11 of the anti-corruption act 2009 by abusing government office by soliciting money that is not receipted and reflected in the court.
Lamwo Resident District Commissioner, Mr Jonathan Rutabingwa, when contacted on Wednesday noted that the arrest of Mr Oluge was already in pipeline since several corruption related complaints had been lodged against him.
“We had already sat with the district security committee on the several occasions over Oluge’s conduct and we were contemplating of forwarding the case to Kitgum chief magistrate,” Mr Rutabingwa said.
He noted that among cases reported against Mr Oluge includes, remanding of a suspect without the police charge file and asking for bribes so as to drop court cases.
In 2009, police in Gulu district arrested the Gulu resident state attorney Emmanuel Muwonge on allegations of receiving a bribe of Shs150,000 from a complainant.
