Crime preventer boss lured me into robbery, says policeman

Kampala. A police officer at Kaberamaido Central Police Station has confessed participation in a robbery ‘under the influence’ of the commander of crime preventers in the district.
Appearing before Justice Anthony Oyuk Ojok, Cpl Charles Onego, who has been on remand at Soroti Government Prison since August 2017, said he was lured into the robbery trap by Kaberamaido crime preventers’ commander, Mr Daniel Eriau. Mr Eriau, it is said, masked the robbery as an operation against one Pius Ebuchu, who he alleged to have had an illegal gun.
Mr Onego told court that Mr Eriau lured him to Mr Ebuchu’s home, a resident of Okutu village, Aperikila Sub-county in Kaberamaido District, supposedly to conduct a search for a gun.
Cpl Onego told the judge that the crime preventer commander in the district then, Mr Eriau, also lured the area LC1 for Akutu Village, Mr John Oile, to the robbery supposedly for the same purpose.
“I want to apologise to the complainant and to this court that I am sorry for what I did; I was misled by the crime preventer and acted unprofessionally,” Mr Onego told the court.
Cpl Onego said he rushed to the scene without the knowledge of his boss.
Mr Ebuchu told court on Thursday that after the robbery in which he lost Shs3m, he opened a case on August 8, 2017, against the area LC1 chairperson.
He added that the robbery also left him psychologically tortured.
Justice Ojok set free Cpl Onego based on his testimony, saying it was practically impossible for him to have resisted the orders of the Kaberamaido crime preventer commander given the powers they wielded at the time when Gen Kale Kayihura was the Inspector General of Police.